Game Set Match
by Hito Rasu
Summary: This is a prequel to A Game of Chance. Okay everyone, so, I'm not dead. Thanks to those of you who have continued to review and encourage me even when I just wanted to scrap this story. Without further ado, the final chapter. Please R and R!
1. Prelude to a Kiss

Author's Note: Nope, still don't own Naruto.

_Game, Set, Match_

_Chapter 1: Prelude to a kiss_

_Ino moved lightly through the streets of Konoha, more out of habit than any conscious effort. She had finished her mission a day earlier than planned and had decided to push on through the night to get home, anxious to report in and then take the rest of the day off. After alerting the guard at the gate that she was back, Ino had headed directly for her apartment. _

_Ah, finally, the flower shop. She just had one more block to go. After achieving the rank of Chuunin, Ino had finally convinced her parents that it was time to move out of the house. It took another year for that to actually happen, but her parents finally relented on the condition that she find a place close to her family's home. Three years later, she was still there and though she would never admit it, she was glad that she was within walking distance of her parents' place. The weekly dinner invite didn't hurt either. Hey, she thought, you're never too old to raid the fridge. _

_Looking at the sky, Ino could barely make out the moon behind the roof of her apartment building. Still at least a good two hours before dawn. Good, that meant that she could take a nice, long shower and then sleep in. As welcome a reward as any for a mission accomplished. _

_Inserting her key in the lock, Ino turned the knob and entered her apartment. It was more of a duplex really, but with rent control and her father's connections to the owner (they had been drinking buddies since they were in their early twenties) Ino could afford to live there. Anywhere else, Ino would have only had enough for a modest sized apartment. _

_Forgoing turning on any lights, since her eyes had already been well-adjusted to the darkness, Ino headed up the stairs, shedding clothing as she went. She'd pick it up later. Entering the bathroom and closing the door, she headed straight for the shower/bath combination and turned on the water. When it had reached a temperature hot enough to scald the skin of lesser mortals and the bathroom had a sufficient amount of steam, Ino gladly took her hair out of its ponytail and entered the shower, hissing as the water immediately turned her skin red. This was going to be great. _

_Maybe it was because Ino was so tired that her senses were dulled, or maybe it was because she had her head under the shower spray and didn't seem inclined to move anytime soon. Probably it was because she was mentally singing the latest pop song to hit the charts. It would certainly explain the occasional head banging and hip swaying. Whatever the reason, Ino failed to notice a figure slip into the bathroom unannounced and stand just outside the shower curtain. _

_Ino, eyes closed, reached for the shampoo bottle sitting on the shelf just below the showerhead. Squeezing some on her hand like she had a thousand times before, she remained blissfully unaware of the figure that was now significantly closer. Stepping back out of the spray to lather her hair, Ino continued to rock on. She took one more step back just to be sure she was completely out of the way of the spray, and that's when she felt it._

_Years of training and missions had taught Ino to be aware of her surroundings. Even tired, stressed, and mentally exhausted, only so much time could pass before she would notice a change in her environment. However, you don't have to be a ninja to notice there's another person behind you when they wrap their arms around you and pull you to their chest. _

_Ino whipped around and realized two things at once. One, she needed to stop singing in the shower (even in her head) and two, that she was staring at a very wet Sakura. A very wet and _naked_ Sakura, who for all the world looked like she belonged there. And then the worst happened; Ino got soap in her eyes._

_12 hours earlier_

"Ow, let go."

"So not going to happen, Ino-Pig."

"Hey, watch it billboard brow. Just admit defeat and gimme!"

"Never. Get your own firewood, lazy. You can't steal mine!"

The tug of war continued on, much to their teammates' annoyance. Team Kakashi had been paired up with the Ino-Shika-Cho trio to bring in a rouge ninja from the Land of Rain. If their intel was correct, they were still a good day and a half away from where they should be confronting their target.

True to its name, the Land of Rain was doing just that, raining; which was why Ino and Sakura were sent out to find firewood before everything became too wet to light. This does not explain why they were fighting, but it does explain why they were there. To answer that riddle, one would have to delve into their shared history. Once friends and then enemies and then friends again, it didn't take much to rekindle the flames of their old rivalry. Even when they had both acknowledged that their friendship was more important than a boy who had abandoned his home, certain situations seemed to bring out the more…antagonistic dynamic of their relationship.

"Ino, I'm only going to warn you once. You'd better let go or I'm going to have to seriously kick your ass."

"Hmph. As if you could. Oh well, Sakura," Ino grinned wickedly, "Since you asked so nicely, I guess I'll have to."

"Huh? What, you really mean it?" That was all that Sakura could get out before Ino let go of her end and Sakura, thanks to inertia and her super strength tug, went flying back into a tree.

Ino sauntered over to her and bent down; picking up the piece of wood Sakura had dropped. "Well, look at that. What a great piece of firewood. I think I'll add that to my pile. Mmm, looks like I have enough wood for now. You better hurry, Sakura, or else all the wood in this forest will be soaked. Don't you love temperate rainforests? See you back at camp." With that Ino flounced away carrying her bundle of wood, merely laughing as she suddenly moved her head quickly to the right, avoiding the rock Sakura had thrown at her.

Without turning to look back, Ino kept walking while she called out, "Now, now Sakura. Sticks and stones may break my bones…but you seem to have run out of both." Gleefully giggling at her victory and parting shot, Ino entered the clearing where everybody else was busy setting up camp.


	2. You May Be Right, I May Be Crazy

Chapter 2: You may be right, I may be crazy

_Present_

"Ow ow ow ow…"

"Here, Ino, let me help."

"No! Stay back. Don't touch me." Quickly Ino turned back into the spray, being careful to get rid of all the shampoo in both her hair and her eyes. She reached her hand back, blindly searching for a wash cloth. When one was handed to her, Ino's automatic "Thanks" was greeted with a much warmer "Your Welcome" followed by a soft giggle.

With the small bathing crisis averted, Ino could finally focus on the very large bathing crisis. Turning around and speaking very slowly, as if to a child, Ino said, "Sakura, why are you here?"

"Do you mean why am I here in general or why am I here in the shower? I mean, I'd love to have a philosophical discussion with you about why we're all here, but I don't want to do it at 4 in the morning."

"Dammit, Sakura!" Ino, flustered at being teased as much (well okay, not quite as much, but it was close) as by Sakura's nudity. If it had been a couple hours earlier or a couple hours later, Ino would also have realized that she, too, was naked, and then her brain would have stopped functioning altogether. Luckily, Ino never looked down.

"All right, all right. Remind me never to talk to you until after you've had a nap. Sheesh, I never knew you could be so cranky." Noticing Ino's twitching left eye, and guessing that it wasn't from the shampoo, Sakura decided to cut Ino some slack.

"Look, I heard you come clomping up the stairs…"

"I don't clomp."  
"And then I heard the shower running and…long story short, I thought I'd join you. Maybe even help you relax a little," saying that, Sakura reached forward in an effort to grab Ino. The look of surprise on Ino's face was to be expected, but Sakura was startled by the hand that pushed her back towards the end of the tub, followed by a short, sharp, "No!"

"Geez, Ino." Sakura said, getting frustrated, "If you didn't want to mess around, all you had to do was say so. You didn't have to push me."

"What!? Mess around…" Ino closed her eyes and chanted "You're not real. You're not real. You're not real." After saying this a dozen times (just in case), Ino opened her right eye to a narrow slit. Once she was sure that she was alone, Ino opened both eyes wide and sighed with relief. 'Phew, just a dream. See, this is what happens when you push yourself too hard. You start to hallucinate.' Grabbing a loofa, Ino continued with her shower. 'Of course,' Ino thought, 'if I had to hallucinate, at least it was Sakura. What if it had been someone else, like Shino?' Physically shuddering at the thought, Ino finished washing and turned off the water. All she really wanted right now was to fall into bed and pretend that she wasn't going crazy.

Pushing the shower curtain aside and reaching for a towel, Ino stopped suddenly. There, in the doorway, stood Sakura.

"Hurry up and finish in here. We need to talk. I'll be in the kitchen." With one last glare, Sakura turned and stalked off.

"Ok, fine. But at least put some clothes on!" Ino wasn't sure what was going on, but one thing she was sure of, she was enjoying the view, which meant that she was crazy; absolutely and completely mental. So much for a relaxing shower…

_9 hours earlier_

With a warm meal in their stomachs and their bodies protected from the rain by a canopy, the ninjas in the camp allowed themselves to slowly relax and gradually the mood around the fire pit became jovial. Thanks to Choji, none of them had to eat one of the processed MREs, something that every ninja dreaded. In fact, the ninjas were in such a good humor that when Sai asked Kakashi about his own Chuunin exam experience, instead of brushing him off, Kakashi started to regale them with tales about the mishaps of all of the ninja that year who had taken the exam.

Ino listened half-heartedly, privately keeping an eye on Sakura in case the pink haired shinobi should try and get back at her for her earlier stunt in the woods. Sakura, for her part, was completely absorbed by what Kakashi-sensei was saying. 'Really,' she thought, 'this is like a psychoanalysis of all the current Jonin. Guy in particular. She'd have to share the story about the pants and the glue with Lee when she got back.'

"Psst. Hey. Psst. Sakura."

Sakura continued to stare at Kakashi, trying to look even more interested than she already was.

"Psst." poke "Psst." poke "Psst." poke

Gosh, that story was sooooo fascinating. If she tried hard enough she could almost imagine the look on Kurenai's face when…

"Psst." poke poke "Psst." poke poke "Psst." poke

"ARGGG! Alright Ino, what do you want? Stop touching me," Sakura yelled loudly, momentarily halting all conversation. "Uh, just ignore us." Quickly grabbing Ino by the upper arm, Sakura hauled her up and away from the camp to the edge of the clearing.

"What the hell, Ino?"

"Hey, it's not like you were busy. Don't tell me you were listening to that lamebrain story."

"Unlike you, I actually try and learn from my elders."

"Whatever." Ino shrugged dismissively. "At least I don't try fawning allover them. I mean, I knew you were desperate, but come on. The man is your teacher."

Sakura looked indignantly at Ino. "I was not fawning. Besides, he was all the way on the other side of the campfire. That puts him out of fawning range. Now, tell me why you were being so annoying earlier so I can get back to ignoring you."

"Well, if you're going to be like that…"

"Spit it out Ino."

"Fine. I was wondering if you wanted to sleep on the left side or the right side of the tent."

The resounding crack of Ino hitting the tree was noticed by everyone. As Sakura stalked back towards the light of the campfire her fellow shinobi did their best to act like nothing had happened and avoided eye contact at all costs. They weren't sure what she would do if she knew that she had witnesses.

Elsewhere, in the nearby forest, someone else had witnessed Sakura's fantastic display of strength. Before, he had dismissed her as only a moderate threat, preferring to focus on the older man in the mask. Now, he was scared. He would have to eliminate the kunoichi before dealing with the other ninja. His only chance would be to attack her sometime that night while her guard was down. Good thing she was so distracted by the blond. It only made his job easier.


	3. Strangers in Paradise

Chapter 3: Strangers in Paradise

_Present_

Ino walked down the stairs with trepidation, internally torn between hoping that she was suffering from a mild delusion and hoping that Sakura was indeed in the kitchen. Ignoring the slight upsurge of joy that she felt at the sight of Sakura sitting at the table with a cup of tea, Ino was relieved that at least one question appeared to be answered. Unfortunately, it generated a whole host of new ones.

Sakura shifted at the table, crossing and uncrossing her legs in agitation.

"There's still some tea left on the stove if you want some."

"Thanks," Ino said, reaching into a cabinet above the stove and pulling out a bottle, "but I think I need something a little stronger." Emphasizing her point, she slightly shook that hard liquor before sitting down opposite Sakura.

'Well at least she put on a robe, but who knew that she'd choose to wear one so short, and on top of that, to act so nonchalant about it. This can't be the girl I know.'

Indeed, as Ino watched Sakura's body betray her frustrations, she felt almost dowdy in her white terrycloth robe, a far cry from Sakura's red silk one.

"Hey! Eyes up here, Ino! You had your chance in the shower; you're not allowed to ogle me now."

Embarrassed to be caught staring, Ino quickly tried to backtrack. "No, no, I wasn't…I mean, I was just…" This continued on until Ino decided to just throw in the towel and shut up. She desperately took a much needed shot of alcohol and tried again.

"Look, Sakura. I'm sorry, but right now I'm just really confused. I…I don't remember any of this. I don't know why you're in my house so late or so…underdressed. Did something happen? Is everything alright with your family? Have I done something that I need to apologize for?"

Sakura sat there, stunned. What was wrong with Ino? Had she hit her head or been knocked unconscious during her last mission? Usually, Ino liked it when Sakura initiated their sexual encounters; she thought it was fun and exciting, mixing things up occasionally. Surprising Ino in the shower was supposed to be well…surprising. It definitely was, but not in the way that she had been hoping for. Taking a sip of her tea, Sakura tried to work things out.

"So, you don't remember us?"

"Us doing what?"

"No, us! As in, you and me, living together."

"Since when have we been roommates? I don't need one, I get a great deal for this place," Ino said, gesturing to the apartment. "Don't tell me you were in the shower with me to try and save money on the water bill. Besides, wouldn't we kill each other? I mean, we get along great and everything, but seeing each other day in and day out would be disastrous. I mean, there would be devastation of catastrophic proportions every time we got into a fight over the TV remote. My neighbors would complain and then I'd get kicked out and…"

Sakura slapped her hand down on the table, abruptly cutting Ino off. "Okay, I get the picture. Who knew that we'd work out so well, but we have and as far as roommates go, sure I help out with the bills and stuff because it's only fair. But I'm only here because you asked me to move in with you."

"Hah!," Ino said, pointing at Sakura, believing she had caught her in a lie. "I would never ask you that." Suddenly jumping up, Ino dashed around the table and put the pink-haired kunoichi in a headlock. "Oh, I knew something was off but I couldn't put my finger on it. But now I've got it. I have to admit, Naruto, you had me going for awhile, you pervert. Who knew you could alter your Sexy Jutsu that much? It's a far cry from what you used to do at the academy. But you made one huge mistake; there is no way that Sakura is just that hot. I mean, for crying out loud, you made her even hotter than me! Plus, there were other little things. Sneaking up on me, trying to grope me, hoping that I'd be too distracted not to notice that you were a huge fake! And the tea! Sakura would never leave me any, she'd tell me to make my own damn tea. That's another thing…"

Ino never got to finish recounting her brilliant deductions. A punch to the head will do that to a person. So will being flipped over onto a table. The wooden structure gave a might groan but held steady. The tea was a lost cause and the alcohol sloshed violently in its bottle, some how managing to stay upright.

"Enough! I don't know what game you're playing Ino, but I'm sick and tired of it. You know very well that you asked me to move in with you on our six month anniversary, and if you want me to continue living here, then I suggest you knock it off. I'm leaving now and going to bed, and if you know what's good for you, you'll spend the night on the couch thinking about all the ways you can make this up to me."

Grabbing the bottle of liquor, Sakura headed for the stairs. Marching up them, she called out to Ino, "And for your information, nothing on this body is _fake_!" That was the last thing Ino heard before Sakura slammed the door, and then she succumbed to unconsciousness.

_Six Hours Earlier _

It turned out that Sakura preferred the right side of the little two-man tent. This was fine with Ino, but she really wished that she had found this out in a less-violent way. Her jaw and back still hurt a little from her up close and personal look at one of the big fir trees that ringed their camp and her pride wasn't in much better shape. What really irked her was the fact that Sakura appeared to be sleeping soundly and was blissfully unaware of Ino's discomfort.

Grabbing the edge of her blanket, Ino shifted and rolled on her left side, hoping that a change in positions would allow her to at least get a few hours rest. Snuggling under her blanket in an effort to stay as warm as possible, difficult to do with the threadbare material, Ino allowed her mind to empty and slowed her breathing down. As someone whose main jutsu depends on mind invasion and manipulation, Ino had learned meditation techniques from a very earlier age. It was necessary to have clarity of mind and a sense of inner discipline in order for these techniques to have the desired optimum effects. Ino wasn't as disciplined as her father would like, but slowly her ability was becoming more refined. Like now, Ino could almost feel herself drifting off into unconsciousness. Her body was relaxing and her limbs seemed to grow heavier. Just a few more seconds…

Ino's mind instantly became alert, unable to identify the whistling sound that had shattered her meditation. A pause, and then it came again, louder this time, and more defined. Ino groaned internally, 'No, it can't be. I swear if she's doing this on purpose…'

Lifting her body so that she was now hovering over the form next to her, Ino watched for any sign of movement that would betray conscious intent. All she got was a louder, and possibly longer, snore followed by a faint, but obvious, snuffle.

'This won't do. There's no way I can sleep with her making that much racket. How is it even possible for that much sound to come out of such a small body?'

Actually, Sakura had grown over the years and was almost as tall as Ino, but to Ino, _almost _was never going to be tall enough, and she still teased Sakura about being short. Behind the desire to keep Sakura in her place, Ino always saw the other girl as slight and frail, even though intellectually, she knew that this wasn't the case, especially now. Trying to turn Sakura onto her left-side in an effort to stop the snoring was proving to be difficult. 'Geez, when did she become so heavy? And she calls me a pig.'

Finally successful, Ino was pleased that the noise seemed to have abated. But her victory wasn't to last as she noticed that somehow during process of moving Sakura, the other girl had managed to snag part of Ino's blanket and was now trapping it between her body and the ground. 'Argh! You just become more and more annoying, you know that!' Tempted to wake Sakura up, if only to yell at her, Ino eventually resisted the impulse; reasoning that doing so might end up with an Ino-sized hole in the tent wall. 'Oh well, Sakura is just going to have to share and tomorrow morning when she freaks out, I'll just bring up her snoring and threaten to tell everyone else about it.' Satisfied that she could easily solve the problem with blackmail, Ino lifted up the corner of Sakura's blanket and scooted under it, molding her form around the other girl's. 'At least she's warm,' thought Ino, shifting even closer, 'it should help me fall asleep faster.'

Inhaling deeply, Ino got a slight whiff of Sakura's shampoo and an even fainter hint of …fir? 'That's weird? There must still be some of the bark on my clothes from earlier.' With that thought, Ino succumbed to the darkness, never realizing that tree roots had sprouted from the ground around their bedding and were slowly covering both girls, immobilizing both their minds and bodies.

At the edge of the clearing, a masked figure grinned. His genjutsu was working perfectly. It was risky, to use it on two people at once, since there was a greater chance of someone waking up and releasing the genjutsu before the tree roots were completely finished creating their cage. Knowing this, he had taken measures to ensure that that didn't happen, and perhaps he'd been a little overzealous, if the snores coming from the tent were any indication. Still, the close proximity of the two women had been a stroke of luck and it had been that much easier to cast his special jutsu.

Creeping around the circumference of the camp, the figure headed towards his next target, one of the two larger tents that slept three. If he could also trap these three men, then he could take out the others in combat during a night assault. He had originally been planning on leaving the area and striking later the next day, but now that he had so easily captured two of the eight ninja, he wanted to put the odds even more in his favor. Settling in, he closed his eyes to gather up his chakra. Sensing movement to his left, he threw out three senbon needles into the forest.

"Wrong way."

Looking up, the last thing he saw was a red eye and a flash of white hair before a hard object connected with the back of his head and he descended into unconsciousness.


	4. Let's Do The Time Warp Again

Chapter 4: Let's do the Time Warp again!

_Present_

The first thing Sakura noticed when she woke up was that the Earth was much closer to the sun. That was the only explanation that she could come up with for why the morning light felt like it was stabbing her brain. After a minute or two, the Earth resumed its usual orbit and she was able to risk opening her eyes, twin slits that made her green irises barely visible. Whether it was fate or coincidence she'd never know, but the first object to appear clearly from the hazy vision was an empty liquor bottle, balancing precariously on the nightstand next to a picture of Ino and Sakura, grinning like maniacs.

Stretching out her left hand, Sakura moved it up and down on the mattress, searching for the body that was supposed to be there, but wasn't. Risking greater pain, she slowly lifted her head off of her pillow and turned, needing to confirm what her questing hand had shown her. 'Ino, what? Oh…oh! That's right. She totally went nuts on me last night.' Glancing again balefully at the empty bottle, Sakura vowed to never touch the stuff again. She hardly did anyway, what with Lady Tsunade as a constant reminder of the perils of alcohol. Carefully, oh so carefully, Sakura placed two feet on the ground, got her bearings, and attempted to stand. After donning the robe she had discarded the night before, she wobbled a few steps before regaining her usual confidant stride (albeit at a slower speed). She needed to find Ino and hash things out. She had meant to do that last night, but Ino had made her so mad, accusing her of being Naruto, of all people. Sakura couldn't believe the nerve of that woman; that was really a low blow. It was just further proof that something had happened to Ino, and Sakura was determined to find out exactly what it was.

Gripping the staircase railing (not because she needed the support of course, but because it was there so she might as well use it), Sakura went down the stairs and into the kitchen, intent on drinking a gallon or two of water to settle her stomach and maybe convince her mouth that nothing had indeed died in it in the last twelve hours.

Walking into the kitchen, Sakura was surprised to discover Ino on the table and apparently still out of it. Doing a quick visual check to make sure that the other girl was breathing, Sakura crept closer. 'She looks so harmless when she's sleeping. Plus, she's quieter. Ino can be so loud sometimes.' Not that she would ever tell her, but Sakura (inevitably the first to get up by virtue of being on-call at the hospital) would almost always wake up before her alarm would go off, just so she could watch her girlfriend sleep. Knowing that it was one of the only times that Ino was unguarded made those few minutes of calm repose worth the loss of a little sleep. Reminded of those pleasant times was enough to make Sakura forgive Ino for last night's behavior. Oh, she'd still make her pay, no doubt about it, but maybe they could both enjoy the experience.

In fact, in the spirit of giving and calling a truce, Sakura decided to let Ino know that she was partially forgiven. Now, Sakura is a nice person, but she would agree that her motives for the course of action that she was contemplating were less than pure and they definitely fell into category of self-serving. But she couldn't help it. Ino, even unconscious with unruly hair and a terrycloth bathrobe, was still the most beautiful girl Sakura had ever seen. She had acknowledged this fact all those years ago when they were children, and she had never had any reason to change her opinion. Thinking about Ino, and what she was going to do when she saw Sakura, was enough to galvanize Sakura's resolve. Climbing slowly and quietly onto the table, she carefully situated herself between Ino's legs. Untying the knot that held her robe together, Sakura gazed hungrily at her quarry. That glass of water could wait.

_Five and a Half Hours Earlier_

The light from the campfire flickered over the bound figure that lay kneeling in the dirt. Blood splattered his clothing, his right eye was swollen shut and the left was threatening to do the same. He was flanked by Kakashi and Sai, while the rest of the ninja were spread out around the camp, checking to make sure that the prisoner was alone.

Shikamaru took note of all of this, half-listening to Kakashi talking to the man, but his mind was elsewhere. All of the other ninja were returning from scouting out the area, but something was off.

"Hey Choji?"

"Yeah, Shikamaru?"

"Do you hear that?"

"No, I don't hear anything?"

"Exactly." He didn't know why he didn't think of it sooner. He raced off in the direction of the smallest tent, Choji at his heels.

"Shikamaru, what's wrong?"

"It's too quite. At a time like this we should be hearing them argue from a mile away." Shikamaru stepped forward cautiously, wary of any traps. Choji copied his movements and was the first to spot them. "Oh, no."

Shikamaru finally saw what was bothering Choji. A huge knot of tree roots had taken over the inside of the tent, and he could barely make out the shimmering gold of Ino's hair. He guessed he shouldn't be surprised; after all, it was that huge spike in chakra that had alerted the Leaf shinobi of the intruder's presence in the first place. "No way. Choji, have you ever seen a genjutsu like this?

"Not one this powerful."

"Go get Kakashi and have him bring the prisoner."

"Right." After Choji left, Shikamaru got to work. Forming the hand sign, he said, "Release." Nothing happened.

"Ah man, I knew they were a pain in the butt, but this is extreme even for them." Grabbing a kunai, he began to hack away at the roots that surrounded his teammates. He hadn't really thought that he would be able to break the genjutsu, but he had hoped that at least it would make some of the roots recede back into the ground. No such luck.

He had just finished cutting enough away to be able reach Ino and pull her out when Kakashi showed up. It figures, he has to do the manual labor while the older ninja gets to use some flashy technique.

"Choji," Kakashi said, "help Shikamaru pull out Ino and Sakura and then check their vitals." Turning to face the prisoner, Kakashi revealed his left eye, letting his Sharringan move over the man and then the two kunoichi lying nearby. It was obvious to him that the genjutsu and the prisoner were connected.

"Ok, what did you do to them? I know it was you, it reeks of your chakra signature."

The bound man stayed mute, but he could not hold in the sharp cry of pain when the Sharringan was used on him.

"Let's try this again, shall we? Shokkou Yume, break the genjutsu."

The man called Shokkou barked out a short laugh before replying, "I can't."

Shikamaru stepped forward. "I don't believe this. It is your genjutsu, you can release it."

Not even glancing at him, Shokkou looked at Kakashi, before shrugging and saying, "Only they can release it, and it doesn't look like they'll be doing that anytime soon."

He wasn't surprised at the backhand across his face, but he was getting tired of being assaulted. Sighing, he continued, "I call it the Morpheus Jutsu. It sends the target into a stage one coma. Easily broken if one has the will. But they don't." He laughed again, only to be sent sprawling backwards by a kick to the stomach from Choji. Shikamaru was impressed; he had never seen his teammate move that fast. Turning to Kakashi, Choji said, "I don't believe it either. Ino probably has the strongest will of anyone in the village, except for maybe Lee, and Sakura is always trying to best Ino, so she should have a strong one too."

Shokkou, trying to right himself, which was difficult considering his restraints, responded to Choji's statement. "I don't know who your little friends are and I don't particularly care. But the point remains the same. They cannot break it. Will alone isn't enough, not without desire. And trust me; those two won't ever want to wake up. The Morpheus Jutsu is unique in that it gives the targets the thing they most desire, the life that they most want. There in lies its genius. Who would be willing to give all of that up? You can cut them, submerge them in water, say sweet nothings in their ears, but they won't hear, not because they can't but because they don't want to. If you hadn't caught me when you did, all of you would be like them, and I would have enjoyed slitting your throats, one by one, and you wouldn't have been able to stop me, you'd be too busy dying in your paradise. Like sheep that are too dumb to realize they've entered the slaughter-house…"

His monologue was interrupted by a piercing scream. Ino's body started to shake and she screamed again. Shikamaru was the first to act, turning her on her side. He yelled at Choji, "Quick, move Sakura away before she accidentally gets hurt." Ino's eyes had rolled back into her head and she was convulsing violently. It only lasted thirty seconds before she stopped and blissfully closed her eyes again.

"Well," Shokkou said, "that's never happened before."


	5. The Things We Do For Love

Chapter 5: The Things We Do For Love

_Present_

Heat, sudden and intense. It was burning Ino, and she felt the center of her body, white hot, tremor before she collapsed into the welcome darkness. What felt like hours later, she opened her eyes to a scene that had become all too familiar since she had become a shinobi. Hospitals always seem the same no matter where they are, at least that was Ino's opinion. Her bed was pushed up against the wall with the window and the light sheet that covered her body did little to keep out the chill from the breeze that managed to squeeze between the glass and the frame. Of course the hospital gown didn't help either. The door was open a crack and she could hear voices out in the hallway.

"Thanks for checking her out for me. I managed to stabilize her in the kitchen but I thought that I should bring her here to check for any permanent damage."

"It's no problem. Let me know if this happens again, another seizure could be indicative of head trauma. Ask her to give you a blow by blow of her last mission. From what you've told me about the memory loss and what happened this morning, it's a very real possibility that she hit her head. But what baffles me is there are no signs of injury, and she certainly doesn't have a concussion. Oh well, when she wakes up you can take her back home, but keep everything low key for awhile. As of now, you are both officially on a weeklong vacation. Take some time and try and recreate some of the events that she doesn't remember."

"Lady Tsunade, I can't take a week off. There's too much work to do and the hospital is short staffed…"

"Don't tell me how to run my hospital, Sakura. Vacation. Now. This is a direct order from your Hokage."

Realizing that her sensei was pulling rank, Sakura had no choice but to capitulate. Bowing respectfully, Sakura said, "Very well, Lady Tsunade. But I will remain on-call in case of emergencies. Just call my house and if I'm not there than try my parents' place. They'll know how to get in touch with me."

Any other instructions Sakura had hoped to give where halted by the sliding of a door and the emergence of a very tall and confused looking blond.

"Ino!" Sakura squeaked, "What are you doing out of bed?"

"What I want to know, Sakura, is what I was doing in it in the first place."

"Well, I'll leave you two to sort this out. I do have other patients, you know." Lady Tsunade winked and then walked off down the hall.

"Uh, Ino, why don't you go back into your room and change and I'll fill you in."

"Fine," she grumbled, "but no peaking."

"What? It's not like I haven't seen it all before." Sakura joked as she followed Ino into the room, sliding the door closed behind her.

Ino whirled and squared off with Sakura, determined to sort this out once and for all. "Stop it. Stop that…that…innuendo stuff. I have no idea what you're talking about and frankly I'd think it was a sick joke, but the entire village seems to be in on it." Running a hand through her hair in frustration, Ino continued, "You act like we have this…life together, but Sakura, that's not the case. I mean, we're great friends and all, but I've never really thought about us together, as a, you know, a couple."

Okay, well that wasn't completely true, but Ino figured it was better to ignore the half dozen or so times that it had crossed her mind. It wasn't like the majority of her free time was spent fantasizing about having Sakura look up to her again, reclaiming her role as mentor and confidant. So what if a few of those fantasies (because that's all they were, thoughts with no substance) got a little hot and heavy at times. Maybe occasionally Sakura would talk about past firsts, like the first time she met Ino, or the first time Ino called her her bestfriend, and then she'd talk about future firsts, first kiss, first time, first love, and how being with Ino was like the first time every time. None of this, Ino rationalized, was ever real, so who cared if in her head, Ino tried to be all of those things for Sakura.

"I don't believe you." That was all Sakura said, but it rang with the confidence of truth behind it.

"I don't care what you believe. That doesn't change the fact that I don't remember any of this."

"Not remembering isn't the same as not happening. Come on, Ino. I know I'm smarter than you, but even you should be able to see that it's more likely that you have a case of mild amnesia than that the entire village of Konoha is trying to mess with your head. You know as well as I do that the simplest explanation is often the correct one. Now, tell me about your last mission and I'll tell you how you wound up in the hospital."

"Grrr. Fine." Turning around Ino started to undress, taking care to keep her back turned towards Sakura. "My mission was routine. A Class B mission only because of the content of the message I was carrying. No one knew about it and so an altercation on the road was considered highly unlikely. It was supposed to be a four day mission, but, as predicted, I never ran into any trouble on the way there and was able to leave early. I could have stopped last night, but I was only a few hours out, so I pushed ahead. And that's it. Nothing else happened. I was more sore and tired from the homestretch push than from anything else." Fully dressed, Ino turned back around to face Sakura, and shrugged. "It wasn't the most exciting mission in the world, but I didn't have any teammates with me, so I certainly wasn't going to look for trouble."

"So when did you hit your head?"

"I didn't hit my head!"

"You didn't hit your head or you don't remember hitting your head?"

"I don't remember hitting my head because I never hit my head in the first place!"

"Right…because you've been acting so normal lately."

"Argh. Just drop it and tell me what I'm doing in the hospital."

At that, Sakura looked a little sheepish. "Well, you had a seizure in the kitchen this morning and I brought you here to have Lady Tsunade make sure you were okay. Which you are, by the way, okay I mean."

"The kitchen? But I was passed out on the table? Why would I have a seizure?"

Looking everywhere but at Ino, Sakura hedged, "Well, stranger things have happened. Hey, let's go. I bet you're hungry. I'll whip us up some lunch and we can…" Maybe if she had been paying more attention to Ino she would have seen the other girl's frustration mounting. With a quickness that she hadn't seen from Ino in a long time, Sakura was surprised to find herself pinned against the wall of the room, with one of Ino's hands on either side of her head.

"Sakura, I might not remember what our exact relationship is, but I do remember what you look like when you don't want to tell me something. Spill it. Now."

"Fine, but you won't like it. Or rather you liked it a bit too much…"

"Sakura," Ino growled, pushing herself into the other girl's body, as much to emphasize her point as to enjoy the closeness of the situation.

"Well, you know how I was mad at you last night?"

"I vaguely recall you punching me in the head."

"Well, you deserved it. Anyway, I wanted to show you that I wasn't mad anymore so I decided to give you a present."

"What, with like bows and stuff?"

"Oh, that's a good idea. I think I want that for my birthday. It's coming up, you know."

This response merely baffled Ino. "Okay, so you wanted to give me a gift. What was it, a strobe light?"

"Don't be stupid, Ino. I went down on you."

"What?!"

"I went down on you."

Ino glanced around furtively, making sure no one else had magically appeared in the room before whispering, "We had sex?"

"No, I was the one doing all the work. You were still half-asleep. Not that you weren't enjoying yourself. Immensely. Then all of a sudden you were screaming, and not in the good way, and then you had your seizure. Scared me to death. I stabilized you and checked you out. You seemed fine, but I still wanted to bring you here." Sakura's expression changed from concerned to slightly devious. "By the way, you still owe me for this morning."

For the first time Ino noticed Sakura's hands on her hips, and instead of trying to push the blond away, they were holding her in place.

"I, I, I don't know what you mean."

"Tit," Sakura said, glancing momentarily at Ino's chest, "for tat."

"What are you, a walking lexicon of trite sayings?"

"Oh no, Ino, I'm just a great believer in reciprocity."

"You said that this morning was a gift."

"So think of this as a gift exchange," Sakura said, before closing the distance between her lips and Ino's.

As far as kisses go, Sakura had had better. In fact, they had all been with Ino. But this kiss would still rate as a knockout in anyone's book. For Ino, this kiss, this first kiss, was like every holiday, snowday, and summer vacation had combined to form one perfect moment of unadulterated happiness. Followed closely on its heels was the heat that Ino had felt earlier that morning, and she got it. She might not remember it, but Ino got it.

"Sakura," it came out as a half pant, half moan, "what are you…how are you…last time this happened you put me in the hospital."

"Well, since we're already in one, I think we've got that part covered."

"I just need time to sort this all out." Ino said, backing away from Sakura.

"You keep doing that."

"What?"

"Walking away from me. It's getting old."

"I told you, I'm completely clueless about us" Ino said, once again running a hand through her hair, before sitting down on the edge of the unmade bed. "I…I think I've wanted this for a long time but everything's coming to a head right now and I'm feeling overwhelmed. I mean, I just kissed you, and for me that's a big deal."

Sakura sat down next to Ino and leaned her head against the other girl's shoulder. "It's a big deal for me, too. Which is why this situation is so frustrating. I want the old Ino back."

"Are the two of us so different?"

"Well, I'm having a conversation with the new Ino. The old Ino would have taken advantage of the fact that the two of us are alone in a room with a bed."

"Have I really done that?" Ino asked, slightly worried about the answer.

"A few times," Sakura giggled at the memories. "You sure know how to make me feel better on the days when I have a double shift. Best coffee break ever."

"I'll have to remember that for future reference."

Sighing, Sakura stood and pulled Ino up with her, glad that the other girl had mentioned a future with her. "Come on, let's go home. I really am hungry."

"Okay." As she was walking out of the room, Ino glanced into the mirror and gasped. "Sakura! Why the hell didn't you tell me about my hair?!"

"Oops…"


	6. I Don't Care If Monday's Black

Chapter 6: I Don't Care if Monday's Black

_Present_

As far as Twilight Zone's go, Ino figured that this one wasn't too bad. She just couldn't shake the feeling that something was some how…she didn't know…off about her current situation. It wasn't just that she had apparently suffered severe memory loss or that she was apparently in a committed relationship with her off and on again best friend. Compounded by the slight dizziness that she was occasionally suffering from, not that she would tell Sakura, last thing Ino wanted was to go back to the hospital, she felt that she had an obligation to at least stay alert for any other abnormalities. Still, all things considered, Ino guessed that everything could be worse. She was never the glass half-empty type anyways (being blond and popular is bound to make anyone perky), so she resolved to try and make the best of the situation. After all, there had to be some good things she could get out of the experience. Maybe Fate would cut her some slack and would stop blindsiding her every five freakin' minutes. Although, with what had just happened, it seemed like Fate couldn't or wouldn't take a hint. Ino wondered if it had a suggestion box.

The crisis was that she had just gotten out of the hospital seven hours earlier and now she was apparently getting ready for the most awkward evening ever; life was just peachy. Of course, Ino supposed that it was a "happy" accident running into her father as she and Sakura passed by the flower shop on the way home from the hospital and that it was only polite for her girlfriend (just thinking the word still felt weird) to make small talk with him. Trying to end a moment that only Ino apparently noticed was awkward, she had hedged and said that "gosh, it's been great but we have to go now, but nice seeing you, and let me know if I can help out later" when Sakura had done it. Stepped right up to Ino's dad without a care in the world, and said, "Hey, why don't you come to our place for dinner tonight around seven? Ino's been feeling out of sorts lately, and I think that you guys are just what she needs." Even more surprising, although she was no longer sure why it should be, her father had said "yes, he would love to come." "Love to," as in looking forward to it and "Oh, by the way can I bring anything?" To which Sakura had responded with a polite giggle and a "Mr. Yamanaka you're so sweet, but I'm sure Ino and I can manage," and with that they had walked off, hand in hand (weirder still!) and returned home.

Argh, Ino was still so mad at her. To make matters worse, Sakura didn't even realize how much of a disaster this evening was going to be. She had only said, "Don't worry Ino, I'll take care of everything. Just take a nap and make sure you wake up in time to get ready." Ino had been half tempted to snooze right through her alarm, and it most certainly wasn't because she was snuggling with Sakura's pillow. Now she sat at her vanity, applying the last touches of make up to her face. Having finished that, she gave herself one last once over and headed down the stairs.

"Oh, hey Ino," Sakura said, glancing up from the pot she was currently stirring, "wow, you look great." Which was true, Ino had gone with her usual purple and white color scheme, the dress hugging her naturally curvaceous figure while still retaining some movement. Sakura thought Ino looked like a movie star, and she told her so.

Laughing, Ino responded, "Thanks, but I sense an ulterior motive."

"Hey, can't blame a girl for trying. I was just going to ask if you could set the table for four and keep an eye on the noodles on the stove while I change. I shouldn't take very long and almost all of the food is ready to go."

Ino glanced around, noticing the wide array of dishes on the counter top. "Sakura, there's enough food here to feed an army!"

"Well, I think your father has been hanging out with the Akimichi Clan too much, he's starting to eat like them."

Ino, giggling, could only concur. "Sure, I'll help out down here. You go change." It wasn't until Sakura had ascended the stairs and disappeared into the bedroom that Ino finally realized something, 'wait, does this mean that we've had my family over for dinner before?'

True to her word, Sakura, wearing a red dress, was ready and back in the kitchen fifteen minutes later. Coming up behind Ino, she wrapped her arms around her and said, "Thanks for keeping an eye on things." "Oh, sure, no problem."

Ino tried to relax into Sakura's embrace, but was finding it difficult.

"Hey, what's the matter? You're really tense. It isn't because I'm holding you, is it?" Sakura started to remove her arms, when Ino grabbed them and gently held them in place. "No, it's not that. In fact, this," she emphasized by quickly squeezing Sakura's hands, "feels great. I guess I'm just nervous about having my parents over for dinner. I've never introduced them to someone special to me before." Ino quickly amended that statement when she felt Sakura giggling into her back, "I mean, I don't remember introducing them to someone special."

"Well, I've got to say, you were about this nervous the last time you did it and everything turned out fine. Besides, I think your parents knew something was up before you even told them."

Ino turned around in Sakura's arms, laughing. "Well, my dad is kind of a mind reader." Sakura reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind Ino's ear, letting it fall into place with the rest of the hair cascading down Ino's back.

"Mmm, I need to get my hair cut soon. I was actually going to go put it up. It keeps getting in my way."

"Oh, no, keep it down at least through dinner. I like this look on you."

"Says the woman with the short hair."

"Hey, I had long hair once. Plus, I remember the last time you cut your hair. How do I know that you won't infuse it with chakra and try and take over my body again?" Sakura teased.

Impulsively, Ino leaned down and captured Sakura's lips in a kiss. When the mutual need for oxygen broke them apart, Ino leaned back against the counter and pulled Sakura closer to her. "Thank you."

"Some how I think I should be the one thanking you."

"I mean, thank you for helping me stop freaking out about my parents. You're right. They obviously know about us, and if they had a problem with our relationship, I'm sure I would never hear the end of it from my mom. And, I also want to tell you I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

"I'm sorry that I'm such a burden right now and that the Ino that left you a few days ago isn't the Ino that came back. I'm sorry I've been so weird lately and that I keep freaking out about everything and that…"

Sakura stopped her with another kiss. This one was meant to offer comfort instead of stoke the undercurrent of desire that seemed to constantly surround the couple, but still, when it was finished, both girls were feeling the pleasant tinges of arousal.

"I'm sorry too. I know I certainly wasn't as understanding as I could have been and I realize that I've been pushing you. All I want to do with you this week is relax and have fun. Besides, you still kiss like the old Ino, and that's what really counts."

Before she could reply, both girls heard a knock at the door.

Suddenly, panic returned full force. "Oh shit. I can't believe they're here. This is going to be a disaster," Ino groaned, trying to not to freak out.

"Hey, don't worry. I'll be here and we'll get through this together." Sakura reached out and turned off the stove before striding purposefully to the door. "Plus, if you behave, I promise not to later tonight."

'Oh, God,' Ino thought, 'I am so screwed.'

Dinner was…well, dinner was great. Her father did end up bringing some plum wine despite Sakura's protests, and her mother brought along some flowers from the shop. The bouquet was lovely, a masterful amalgamation of local flora centered on the cosmos flower. Ino's father joked that he wanted to bring Sakura her namesake, but thought that a tree might be too big for the kitchen table.

Everyone sat down and the conversation was easy and unforced. Mrs. Yamanaka complimented the cooking and offered to have both girls come over for dinner at the Yamanaka household early next week. Mr. Yamanaka kept everyone's glasses topped off (except Sakura, Ino noticed that she was only sticking with water). All in all, the evening was a success, and Ino couldn't believe it.

Before she knew it, three hours had rolled by and only the lateness of the hour convinced Ino's parents that it was time to go. Ino closed the apartment door after taking one last peek at the slowly retreating forms of her parents as they made their way back home. Her dad looked a little unsteady but her mother moved as gracefully as ever. Idly, Ino wondered if anyone else knew that her mom could drink her dad under the table. Turning around she headed back to the kitchen to help Sakura with the clean up. Picking up dishes and clearing the table was a mindless task and soon the two kunoichi were sitting on the couch in the living room, enjoying some after dinner coffee.

"I can't believe that this is happening," Ino said, blowing on the steaming liquid before taking a tentative sip.

"What?"

"This," she said, gesturing with her cup, "Us. I told you in the hospital that I had always hoped to be with you, but I never really thought it was possible. In fact, it got to the point where it was just easier not to think about you at all."

"How'd that work out for you?"

"Well, obviously it didn't, thank God. It's just that everything still feels so, I don't know, new. Like, our first day at the ninja academy when everything looked big and every sensei seemed larger than life, and we were so excited but a little bit frightened at the same time. It was one of those moments where you knew that from that day on your entire life would change. I think even back then I could recognize that the way of the shinobi would be something that could give just as much as it could take. Maybe I'm rambling, what did you think?

"About starting the ninja academy?"

Ino verified this with a nod.

"Well," Sakura stated, placing her mug on the coffee table before tucking her legs up under her and leaning back against the arm of the couch, "you know that both of my parents chose not to become ninjas and that my family doesn't have a clan-specific jutsu." Seeing Ino nod again, Sakura continued. "So, I guess I never really felt understood by my parents. Sure, they supported me and they recognized that I was becoming a valuable member to the community, but I don't think that they can appreciate everything that goes into being a shinobi, and that some of the choices I've had to make and the person that I've become are all geared towards a specific purpose; to be a tool, a weapon. When I started at the ninja academy, it was surreal, to deviate so drastically from the path that my parents had set for me. Looking back on this now, I'm sure that this led to my insecurities and eventual low-self esteem. As far as recognizing a moment in time when my life changed forever, that's easy. It was the second day I met you."

"Wait? The second day?" Ino looked perplexed.

"Yeah, when you told me to meet you because you had something for me; I admit, I never actually thought that you would show up." Sakura glanced down, slight embarrassed.

"I'd said I would."

"Yes, but I had been teased and tormented so much by girls just like you, it wouldn't have surprised me if you had just been giving me false hope."

"I'm glad to see I made such a great first impression," Ino teased, sticking out her tongue.

"Well, regardless of what I thought would happen, you did show up, and so that's the moment that I knew my life would change."

Momentarily overcome with emotion, Ino could only sip her coffee and try not to grin like a maniac.

"This is all one big ego boost for you isn't it?"

"…maybe."

"That's okay, I still love you."

Putting down her mug next to Sakura's, Ino turned her body to face the other girl, blue eyes seeking out green ones. "I love you, too."

"Ino, you don't have to say that just to make me feel better."

"Please, I might not have my memory, but I certainly haven't lost my mind. I know what I feel and I certainly know what I'm saying. I look at you and I see the same thing I saw all those years ago. It's what first attracted me to you."

"What? Slavish adoration and obsession?"

"Possibilities. Potential. Love.

The room was quiet for a moment, each girl lost in her own thoughts. Noticing Sakura stand up, Ino tried to stop her, "Hey, wait. Where are you going?"

"I made a promise tonight and I plan on keeping it." So saying, Sakura undid the ribbon on the front of her dress, revealing a wisp of black lace before reaching up to slip the straps off her shoulders, letting the dress collect on her hips before quickly shimmying out of it and letting the red material pool at her feet.

"Oh. Wow." Ino managed to say with some difficulty.

Closing the short distance between the two of them, Sakura stood in front of a staring Ino. Ino's eyes raked over the barely clothed body, taking the time to linger on the toned muscles that added an edge to the softness of Sakura's physique and the barely there lace panties and matching bra. Sure, Ino had seen Sakura wet and naked less than twenty-four hours ago, but she had been too busy freaking out to really appreciate the form of the pink-haired girl.

"Like what you see?"

Ino could only nod.

"Do you remember what I promised?"

"You uh," Ino cleared her throat, "you promised to be…uh…not nice." Somehow, Ino just couldn't bring herself to say 'naughty.'

Sakura smirked, internally delighted at Ino's insecurity. Often, Ino was so confident that Sakura sometimes forgot that the other girl possessed a vulnerable side.

"That's right." Sakura step forward and then sank down onto the couch, effectively straddling and trapping a nervous Ino. "I did." Sakura then shifted position slightly, adding pressure to Ino's lap, while her hands made themselves at home in the blond's hair. Ino gasped involuntarily, making Sakura's smile even wider.

"Sakura, I…"

"Shh…I'm busy being not nice." Sakura took Ino's hands and placed them on her hips, just above the black lace; then she leaned forward and nipped playfully at Ino's lower lip before proceeding to kiss Ino with an intensity that the blond had never previously experienced. Once she sensed Ino's overwhelming surrender, Sakura started to move her hips. The added sensation seemed to jerk Ino out of her stupor.

"Wait. Sakura, stop, please."

Sakura halted her gyrations but couldn't suppress her moan of frustration. "Ino, what is it?"

"It's just that, I've never done this before."

"I think we've already covered that you don't remember our sex life."

"No, well, yes, there is that, but I mean I've never done this before…period." Ino looked Sakura in the eye, praying that the other girl understood the added emphasis.

"What do you mean…oh, oh! Wait, that can't be right. What about Shikamaru or Choji, or someone," Ino shook her head no, "…else? But, when we first got together you never made it seem like, you were a, well to put it frankly, you acted like you lost your virginity years ago."

"I did?"

"Yes, you did. I guess I just assumed that it was with one of your team members."

"Oh, well, no, that's not true."

"Ino," Sakura leaned forward and started to nuzzle the other girl's neck, "I really don't want to pressure you or anything, and God knows I'll stop if you want me to stop, but I have got to tell you that I've been on the edge all day and it is really, really uncomfortable."

"Um…"

"So," Sakura pulled back so she could look the other girl in the eye, "I want you to think very carefully about this. One way or another, I'm going to have an orgasm, and either you're going to help me or I'm going to do it myself." Sakura bent her head and bit lightly at the juncture between Ino's neck and collarbone, pleased to see Ino's heart beat increase, becoming visible at the pulse point. "But I'm going to need your answer in the next thirty seconds or I am going to go insane." She punctuated this last statement with a rock of her hips, and that's when Sakura knew she had her.

Ino leaned forward and resumed kissing Sakura while her hands moved from their place on her hips to slip underneath that pitiful excuse for underwear, lightly kneading Sakura's ass. Sakura broke the kiss, panting, "Ino, oh, God, don't tease me, I don't think I can last very long."

Ino left one hand on Sakura's backside, while she moved her right one over Sakura's abs and down to the apex of her thighs, deliberately teasing Sakura through the black cloth.

"You are such a bitch," Sakura said through clenched teeth.

Ino responded by quickly flicking her thumb over Sakura's clit, which was still sensitive even through the lace barrier.

"Come on, Ino." Sakura ground even harder on Ino's hand, eyes glazed over in desperation.

Using the chakra control that she had learned from her training in medical jutsu, Ino put both hands temporarily back on Sakura's hips to make minute incisions on either side of the lace panties, effectively cutting the material.

"I hope you weren't too attached to that underwear," she said as she quickly removed the torn material.

"They were my favorite."

"Oops. Sorry." Although Ino was far from it and Sakura knew it.

"Hey, I thought I was the one who was supposed to be not nice."

Ino's only response was to move her hands up Sakura's body and perform the same move on her bra. By this time Sakura was so far gone she hardly even noticed. She did notice when Ino finally, finally, took a nipple in her mouth and began to suck. Throwing her head back, Sakura began to move even harder, pleased that Ino's hand had found its way back down between her legs.

"Oh, God. Ino, please, I need you inside, I've waited for so long."

Sliding two fingers through Sakura's wetness, Ino slipped in and that was all it took. Sakura came, whimpering and murmuring, her head buried in the crook of Ino's neck, while her body continued to spasm. Even with her own unique jutsu, Ino had never felt so connected to another person before in her life.

At last, Sakura's body seemed to calm down and Ino, suddenly exhausted, shifted them on the couch so that they were lying down. Closing her eyes, she pulled the other girl closer to her, content to cuddle just for now. But before she drifted off, she had to know one thing.

"Sakura?"

"Mmm?"

"So, how was I?"

"…"

"I'm sorry I couldn't hear that."

"Beginner's luck."


	7. Tuesday,WednesdayHeart Attack

Chapter 7: Tuesday, Wednesday- Heart Attack

_Present_

Ino left Sakura resting on the couch, careful not to disturb the other girl. Even though she wanted nothing more than to stay put, Ino had a lot to do today. Trying to straighten out the wrinkles in her dress, Ino couldn't help but smile at the memory of the previous evening. Last night had been great, a little unorthodox, but great nonetheless. All of the things that had hindered Ino before, the doubts and worries that are part and parcel of falling in love were suddenly no longer there. Added to the fact that the love of her life was once her rival and a _girl_, which should have freaked at least some people out, because it was supposed to, was actually a non-issue. Apparently, in the past year she had come out to her parents, seduced Sakura (Ino couldn't believe that it would happen any other way, faulty memory or not), had a great relationship with her parents and probably Sakura's, and life in general was fine. For the first time since Ino had come back from her mission she felt like she could do this, that everything she had wanted to happen was not only possible but had exceeded expectations. It was this thought that had her breakout into fits of giggles during her shower, smile at herself in the mirror as she did her hair, and take one last long look at Sakura, still sleeping peacefully on the couch, before Ino quickly and quietly went out the front door.

The day was still young, but Ino knew that the venders and service people who provided a constant backdrop in Konoha had been up for hours. So she didn't feel bad walking through the backdoor of the flower shop, and plopping down on one of the chairs in the kitchen/workspace.

"Hey, Mom. What are you doing down here? Dad usually works on Tuesdays.

Mrs. Yamanaka, who had been cutting some flowers under running water, glanced up from her place by the sink. "Well, he was feeling under the weather this morning and I offered to take the first shift so he could sleep in."

"He bribed you didn't he?" Ino smirked, knowing her parents all too well.

"Let's just say that this Friday, your mom is going to see a movie."

"Dinner?"

"And an evening visit to the lake if we have time."

"Nice. I'm glad to see you haven't lost your touch."

"You and Sakura can come with us if you want. It could be a double date, I'm sure we'd all have a great time."

"No offense, Mom, but eww. I mean seriously, that's just disturbing." Ino crossed her arms over her chest, anxious to change the subject.

"Well, I just thought I'd offer. I want you girls to know that your father and I support you and that we have no problem attending activities with you girls in public… as a family."

Overcome with emotion, Ino sat there, trying to find her voice.

"Thank you."

"For what, dear?" Mrs. Yamanaka had finished with the last of the flowers and had shut off the water. After towel drying her hands, she took the chair across from Ino.

"For everything. For just being you. I know that this can't be easy for you and dad. So much of what you wanted for me, a wedding, children, community respect, I jeopardized all of that. I know that we've probably already sorted this out a long time ago, but I just wanted to make sure that this…thing that I have with Sakura, this life, is something that you're okay with."

Reaching across the table, Mrs. Yamanaka grabbed Ino's hand and pulled it across the table, entwining their fingers. Ino's hand was larger, thanks to her father, but she had inherited their slenderness from her mother. Mrs. Yamanaka finally broke the silence, saying, "You know, Ino. For a ninja, sometimes you can be incredibly dense. I think you take after your father." The sting of the words was removed slightly by her mother's smile.

"Thanks, Mom. You sure know how to sweet talk a girl. I think the ANBU could use you on their interrogation team."

"I'll consider it. But come on, Ino. I thought we all had a great time at dinner last night. Doesn't that tell you something? Besides, who says that you can't have all those other things too? Your father and I are just fine with the way you turned out."

"Yeah, well, I guess I had some pretty great parents."

Mrs. Yamanaka squeezed Ino's hand before getting up. "I'm famished, and you must be too. What do you want for breakfast?"

"I'll have whatever you're having."

Her mother pulled out some things from the refrigerator and set a skillet on the stove before renewing the conversation. "I have to admit, I'm a little surprised that you're here so early. I bet you had a late night last night."

"Mom!"

"What? All I'm saying is that I bet you didn't get a lot of sleep."

Ino put her head on the table, muttering, "I can't believe we're talking about this."

"Oh come off it, Ino. It's just some harmless girl talk. Sakura looked very nice in that red dress last night and you are nothing if not an opportunist." Sensing Ino was about to object, she continued, "I'm your mother, I'm well aware of your personality traits, Ino."

"Gee, this is such a warm and fuzzy moment. Promise me you won't say a toast at my wedding."

"Is that why you're really here?"

"I don't know, maybe? I wasn't thinking about it until just now, but if you're going to insult me like that then maybe I won't invite you."

"Don't be silly, I already know what I'm going to say."

"You do?"

"Ino, I've known about you and Sakura for a long time."

"Well, duh. It's been, like, a year."

"No, I mean way before that."

"But, I didn't even know. I swear, it feels like just yesterday that we got together. How could you possibly know?"

"I'm your mother, I know everything. Besides, even when the two of you weren't getting along, I've never seen you more passionate about anybody else."

"But what about Sasuke?"

"Even him. Come on, think about. You would spend time mooning over him, but you would spend hours obsessing about Sakura. I'll admit, for a couple years that was a lot of negative energy, but when everything came down to the wire you were always there for her. What was it you told her? 'You've blossomed into a beautiful flower'."

Ino groaned, placing her head once again onto the table. "God, this is so embarrassing. How did you even hear about that?" Before her mother could answer, she said, "Oh, right. You know everything."

Placing a plate by her daughter, before sitting back down, Mrs. Yamanaka could only smile. "I think it's cute and romantic. You get that from me."

"So what do you think about the whole getting married thing, hypothetically speaking."

"Well, I definitely think that it's something that shouldn't be decided over breakfast, hypothetically or not."

"Mom, come on."

"Fine, if I was going to be hypothetically proposed to, I suppose I'd like to have it happen at a place that was significant to the both of us. Somewhere special. I'm not sure where that is for you two, but I bet that you have a pretty good idea."

"Well, there is one place." Ino hedged, thinking 'I just wish I knew where it was.'

After her conversation with her mother, Ino was more determined than ever to find out about her relationship with Sakura. Unfortunately, if she went straight to the source, Sakura might become suspicious. Not that there was anything to be suspicious about, it was just that Sakura was so nosy and frankly too damn smart for her own good. Ino was no slouch in the intellect department either; it was just that she was constantly overshadowed by her girlfriend and her teammate. So, it wasn't surprising that the next stop after visiting her parents was to the training grounds.

Ino heard them before she ever saw them. Choji's expansion jutsu was quite impressive but it definitely wasn't subtle. Lately, Shikamaru had been helping Choji become a better tactical ninja, quipping that "brawn with a brain behind it" would be the key to Choji eventually becoming a Jonin. What Shikamaru hadn't said was that this training was forcing him to rely less on his Shadow Possession and more on taijutsu, an area where he was weaker. By the time Ino had caught up to her teammates, both were breathing heavily and using towels to dab at their sweaty foreheads.

"Hey, Ino what's up?" Shikamaru asked with a wave.

"Yeah, how'd the mission go? Okay?"

"Everything's fine, in fact everything is great."

"You're in a good mood and I bet I know why." Choji hinted, lifting his eyebrows for comic effect. Which is why Ino didn't feel bad giving him the obligatory smack to the head while Shikamaru muttered something about troublesome women.

"That's none of your business, Choji. You're lucky you're my teammate or I might have had to seriously hurt you."

"Felt serious to me."

"What was that?!"

"Nothing!"

"So, Ino," Shikamara said, hoping to cut his friend a break, "how's Sakura doing?"

"She's fine, in fact the Hokage gave both of us a week off."

"Wow, that's great. I wish I had more free time."

"You wish all your time was free time."

"No argument there."

"Well what are you two going to do? Travel? I hear that the Land of Waves is investing in a fleet of pleasure ships to bring in tourists, you guys could do that." By this time Choji felt that it was safe to rejoin the conversation.

"No, I think we'll stay here but there is something that I would like to do and I wanted to run it by you two."

"Sure Ino, that's what Choji and I are here for."

"Okay, but before I tell you what it is, uh…this might sound weird, but I need to know everything about my first date with Sakura."

"Um, Ino, weren't you there?"

"I'm not stupid, Choji, of course I was. I'm just…checking the details with the two of you to make sure I don't miss anything."

"Miss anything for what?"

"I'll get to that, but come on guys, I'm counting on you."

Sighing, Shikamaru began to tell her what she wanted to hear, but internally, he thought to himself that he might be a genius, but he would never be able to understand women.

Ino walked down the main street of Konoha, intent on tracking down her prey. While Shikamaru and Chouji had been some help, there were still a lot of gaps to fill in. At least she now had a time and a place, and had even begun to make some of the arrangements. But there was one person who would be able to make her plan perfect. Catching sight of the spiky blond hair, Ino quickly moved in for the kill.

"Naruto!"

The blond boy looked around, saw Ino, and then quickly looked through the doorway of the building he was standing next to. "Uh…hi Ino. How have you been?"

Ino stared at Naruto. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sure. What makes you say that?"

"Well, you're all sweaty and fidgety. You seem nervous."

"I'm not nervous…it's just that now's not the best time to visit."

"I'm not visiting. We're in the middle of the street."

"Oh, yeah. That's right. Listen, Ino, I need to warn you that…"

"Well, if it isn't my favorite lady lover! How are things going over in that love nest of yours?"

"…Jiraiya's almost done shopping." Naruto sighed, knowing what was coming next.

"Excuse me!"

"I mean, don't get me wrong, that Sakura is one hot chick, but you really are a knockout."

"Oh, you think so? I was comparing us but I couldn't decide who was…Hey, wait a minute, what do you do think you're doing, checking out my girlfriend."

"Here it comes," mumbled Naruto, mentally starting a countdown.

"Isn't it obvious? I would think that you of all people would appreciate my taste in women."

'Five'

"In fact, I should really get you two to model for the cover of my next book."

'Four'

"It's about two kunoichi who go on a mission and need something to do to kill some time."

'Three'

"Then there's this rogue ninja wandering the woods. He's extremely handsome, just like yours truly…"

'Two'

"Of course, it starts to storm and the three ninja must call a temporary truce while they find shelter in a nearby cave."

Ino's fist came crashing into Jiraiya's face sending him flying down the street until he crashed into an unfortunate vender's stall.

'One.' Naruto sighed, knowing that some how he'd end up paying for the damage.

It took Naruto ten minutes to calm down a livid Ino, but promising to treat her to a late lunch and assuring her that Jiraiya would behave himself finally did the trick.

After placing her order for short ribs, Ino took a deep breath to calm herself. Jiraiya always did manage to get under her skin. Even though he was seated across from her and Naruto was doing his best to defuse the tension, Ino still felt like he was trying to peak up her skirt. She was positive he was looking down her shirt. Not that she could blame him, after all her body was great, but that didn't mean that he could say and do those things in public. What a loser…

"So…Ino, you never did answer my question. How are you doing?"

"Fine. Actually, I'm on vacation. So is Sakura."

"I bet I know what you're going to do."

"Shut it, Pervy-Sage."

"How many times have I told you not to call me that? You should show me greater respect."

Ignoring him, Naruto continued, "So, what will you two be doing?"

"Well, that's why I'm here. I was thinking about taking our relationship to the next level, and I want to recreate our first date."

"That sounds great, but why are you talking to me? What do I have to do with anything?"

"Oh, well, I just wanted to see if Sakura told you anything about it. Things that she liked, things she didn't, overall impressions, that sort of stuff."

"Gee, Ino. I'm sorry, but Sakura never really told me any details. She just said that she was happy that you two had finally gotten together."

Meanwhile, Jiraiya was busy patting his pockets until he pulled out a small red notebook.

"What are you doing Pervy-Sage?"

"Stop calling me that! Anyway, I think I can help Ino out."

"What are you talking about?"

"See, I have it right here." Jiraiya shoved the open book in front of Ino's face.

"Subject One arrives on location at 7:15 with a bouquet of flowers and walks around the block for 15 minutes, going to the door and then wandering away before going back to the door. At 7:30 Subject One knocks and is let in by Subject Two. At 7:45 Subject One and Subject Two come out of the apartment and walk towards the restaurant district. Both Subjects avoid eye contact…Oh my God. You have our entire date down in your planner!"

'Five'

"You watched us the entire time!"

'Four'

"Strictly for research purposes, I'm a professional. Besides, you two were Konoha's hottest new It couple. I had a duty to my readers to follow you."

'Three'

"This is such an invasion of privacy…Really? The It couple?

'Two'

"Oh yeah. I'm surprised people didn't put your pictures on t-shirts and sell them as souvenirs. I mean, you guys were really popular. Everyone was talking about it."

"Well, of course they would. I'm sure it was big news, two of the best up and coming kunoichi going out on a date together, after years of rivalry and competition. Each one striving to out do the other, both so passionate about their training. The shared history of love and friendship culminating in a relationship between soul mates. It's only natural that the people of this village would find us interesting. Who could resist such a romantic story?"

"Right. Hey, that's good. Think I can put that in my book?"

'One.'

Ino's punch was only half-hearted. After all, despite his obviously shady motives, Jiraiya had provided Ino with all the information that she needed. Smiling, Ino pocketed Jiraiya's notebook. Just then, the waitress arrived with her short ribs. Today was turning out to be a great day.

Ino arrived home in a state of bliss. Sure, that talk with her mother had weirded her out, but once she had time to process the information, Ino knew that she was doing the right thing. Almost everything had been taken care of and tomorrow Ino would finish up with the final loose ends.

"Sakura. Sakura. Are you home?"

Receiving no answer, Ino moved further into the apartment. Glancing at the kitchen table, she saw a note held down by a box of instant ramen.

_Ino, I waited as long as I could for you to get home, but I eventually had to leave. Hinata's team and some villagers suffered some injuries during a scuffle with bandits and Lady Tsunade put me on active medic duty. I should be back sometime late tomorrow. I'm so sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you. Love, Sakura. P.S. There are also leftovers in the fridge_.

'Well,' Ino thought as she sat down, 'that sucks.'


	8. Thursday, Never Looking Back

Chapter 8: Thursday, Never Looking Back

Chapter 8: Thursday, Never Looking Back

Present

The thing Sakura hates most about death is the stench. Death seems to seep into a person's pores no matter how diligently one changes sterile clothing or how often one showers; and that is in a hospital environment. Out in the field, working in triage conditions, the scent of death is impossible to avoid. It always manages to overpower Sakura's herbal shampoo in a matter of seconds, overlapping her own sent markers and absorbing Sakura into its ever expanding miasma. It is no wonder that when Sakura sleeps, she dreams of scents committed to olfactory memory, unaffected by the death that surrounds her waking moments.

Last night, during the quick two hours she managed to snag between shifts, when the lull in voices raised in pain subsided to background noise, Sakura dreamt of Ino. The vanilla and nutmeg that distinguish her hair from everyone else's; baby powder used on hands after removing the tape that protected knuckles from a speed-bag workout. Aloe Vera that is Ino's back after a day at the beach and too much sun. Coconut oil is the calf and the heady, earthy smell is the back of the knee after a round of vigorous lovemaking. Breasts tipped in chocolate is one year anniversary and fabric softener is clothes sharing a closet. All of it is Ino. None of it is Death.

Now, Sakura is finishing up the last of the instructions to the Konoha medical replacement staff. Lady Tsunade had only sent her to the border to provide short term care while arrangements were made for longer treatment options. Kiba had sustained some burns trying to dose the flames the bandits had set to the village and Shino had a wound on his leg that was in danger of infection. Hinata, thanks to her Biakugan, was in the best shape and had been a life-saver in every sense of the word as a deputized field medic during that vital first 24 hours. All that Sakura has to do now is head for home, even though she'll be arriving in the early morning and not the night before as she had previously thought.

Slipping between the sheets, Sakura was careful not to wake her slumbering girlfriend. Pleased when Ino's arms automatically pulled Sakura closer to her body, the pink-haired medic nin finally gave in to her body's demands and drifted off to sleep.

Ino, still in the grip of sleep, nuzzled the top of Sakura's head and inhaled sharply; absorbing all the scents that Sakura had mired in for the last few days. Translating into images, Ino dreamt of woods and rain, campfires and laughter. Flashes of trees and the press of earth, tents and scratchy bedding, the chill of the night air, the sound of arguing, all combined in a disjointed picture. It felt like she was underwater, drowning, and she'd finally realized that she wasn't going to survive. That sucking in air only succeeding in swallowing more water and she's choking, choking on everything, air…no air…

"Ino! Ino, wake up!"

Another voice in the distance, "wake up, Ino. You can do it." '_Shikamaru?_'

"God damn it." A thump on the back and her eyes opened, gasping, intaking air, not water, breathing, and…sobbing? No, that wasn't her, it was…

"Sakura?"

Clinging to Ino's back, Sakura cried even harder, her tears soaking into Ino's oversized t-shirt. There was mumbling too… "Don't leave me. Oh please God, Ino, don't leave me."

Turning over to face her lover, Ino gently wiped the tears away from Sakura, knowing that she was responsible for the puffy eyes and runny nose.

"Hey, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. Shh…" Ino kissed Sakura's forehead, unable to banish the image of the little girl she had met who had cried so long ago. "Sakura, what happened?"

"I was sleeping and I noticed something was wrong. God, Ino. You weren't breathing, and I, I think you had a mini-heart attack. Everything just seemed to stop and oh God, you weren't breathing and I couldn't, I couldn't get you to inhale. It was awful. You were getting so pale and the only thing I could think to do was to hit you on the back. I'm a medic, I know I'm not supposed to do that but I just acted and…and…" Sakura broke down crying again.

Ino pulled her lover close and slowly rocked her back and forth. "Hey, no more crying. I'm fine, and you're back safe and sound. Besides, I know how much you like to hit me." This remark elicited a giggle from Sakura and a relieved smile from Ino. "See, all better."

"I think I should take you back to the hospital."

"No, I'm fine. Really. I was just dreaming that I was swimming" _drowning_ "and I was holding my breath" _dying_ "so you see, it was just my body being silly. I don't need to go back to that hospital. Besides, you spend enough time there for the both of us. Are you sure you aren't running around with Shizune behind my back? Ow, there you go hitting me again. I swear it's like a reflex for you."

Sakura burrowed deeper into Ino's arms, calming down. Ino's grip on her body was strong and possessive, like it always was. Really, maybe she was overreacting. Sighing, Sakura said "Okay, I won't make you go to the hospital, but I strongly encourage that you go to the hospital for a check up in the next couple of days."

"Well, I can't do it tomorrow. I have plans, so I guess I'll have to do it on Saturday."

"Plans? What are you talking about?"

"It's a surprise. Now, I promise to take it easy the rest of today and to tell you if I'm feeling unwell. So, you just go back to sleep. I'm right here and I swear I'm not going anywhere."

Sakura rested her head back down onto Ino's shoulder and drifted back to sleep, lulled by the other girl's steady, even breathing. It would be okay, Ino promised, and they both knew that promises were meant to be kept.

_Two Hours Earlier_

Lady Tsunade woke up to a pounding in her brain and it took her a minute to realize that someone was pounding on her door. Glancing bleary-eyed at the clock by her bed, she realized that she had only had two hours of sleep before being so rudely awakened at three in the morning. Grumbling as she put on her robe, she vowed that whoever was at that door had better tell her that the earth had stopped spinning and that the heavens were crashing down around them. She padded to the door and yanked it open.

Her look must have screamed instant death because Raidou automatically took a step back. After realizing what he had done, he sheepishly stepped forward and addressed the Fifth Hokage.

"Lady Tsunade, we received an urgent call from an outlying village in the Land of Rain moments ago." Handing her a sheet of paper, Raidou continued, "This is a difficult situation. What do you want to do, Lady Tsunade?"

Tsunade's eyes scanned the note a second time. How was this even possible? She'd never heard of a genjutsu like Yume's.

"Lady Tsunade?"

Glancing back up at Raidou, she barked, "Get me Inoichi Yamanaka. Now!"

"Right away, Lady Tsunade," Raidou said before quickly vanishing into the night.

Turning, Tsunade went back into her room to quickly throw on some clothes, surprised that, at least for her, the Earth had stopped and she hated to be the one to tell Inoichi that his sky had just fallen.


	9. It's Friday, I'm in Love

Chapter 9: It's Friday, I'm in love

Chapter 9: It's Friday, I'm in love

Present

It was a morning like any other and it was driving Ino nuts. She was sure that on today, of all days, something would be different; a change in the wind, a celebration, an impromptu holiday. But the breeze was light and steady, the village was filled with its usual atmosphere, and if the day was a holiday someone neglected to mention it to her.

Still, Ino's heart beat an unsteady rhythm, her mind wandered aimlessly and unremittingly, and she would suffer through unexpected bouts of nervousness whenever Sakura looked at her for more than five seconds. Wishing that the evening would hurry up and arrive seemed to make time stand still, but as the clock chased down every rogue second and pursued every hour relentlessly, Ino retracted her earlier wish and frantically ran through the details of her plan.

Above all, the day seemed real; more real than any other day that week, more concrete than any half-wished desires buried under years of faux animosity, and it heralded a clarity of mental images that were emerging triumphant from the fog of her memories. Ino was remembering snatches of scenes: asking Sakura to move in with her despite standing in the middle of a crowded street, treating the burns on Sakura's hands when the medic-nin had pushed past her chakra limit, the first time both had said 'I love you' and truly meant it, dozens of shared showers with the same singular ending. Everything was coming together, like puzzle pieces seamlessly snapping into place. By the end of this day, everything that Ino ever wanted or could have hoped to want would be hers. Ino stopped watching the clock. Today was going to be great. She could feel it.

One Hour Earlier: Konohagakure

"…is this possible?"

"If it's not, then they are both lost."

"Fine. But if you can save only one…"

Inoichi's eyes never wavered as he answered the Fifth Hokage, "I know who to choose."

Present

The sun was starting to set as Ino led Sakura past the large tree that unofficially marked the entrance to the clearing. Thanks to Jiriya's little book, Ino had been able to recreate their first date down to the smallest detail. She wondered if Sakura had noticed her effort and half-hoped that her girlfriend had remained oblivious. Ino didn't want Sakura's quick mind to put the clues together just yet. It had been touch and go there for a second when Ino and Sakura ran into Ino's parents, the two kunoichi leaving as the older couple was entering the restaurant.

Ino feared the worst when she saw her mother's bright smile and the awkward hug her father gave Sakura; really, was it too much to ask for that her parents pretend to understand the concept of subtlety? The truth was that if she hadn't been so wrapped up in making sure this evening was perfect, Ino would have remembered that this was her mother's favorite place and would have avoided the restaurant like the plague. Fond memories of coming there as a child were responsible for Ino incorporating it into that fateful first date, but even she was starting to wish she had forgone accuracy for social comfort. Luckily, Sakura only commented that Ino's mother seemed happy, apparently oblivious of her father's self-consciousness.

Ino felt fingers link with hers as the two women wandered farther into the grassy field. Even though it was too late in the year for there to be blooming flowers, it only took Ino a fraction of second to remember what it had looked like, over a year ago, bursting with color. They had been holding hands then too, although there was an air of caution. Ino was awestruck by how the vibrancy of the reds and oranges had only served to enhance Sakura's beauty. In a moment of lucidity Ino had felt the true purpose of a florist, to be the guardian and keeper of precious, fleeting treasures. She knew what flowers were for and how they affected people, but to actually _know _how deep that connection was, had, until that moment, previously eluded her.

Unlike that first date, Ino was no longer hindered by self-doubt and fear. With a sense of confidence that had been lacking all week, Ino pulled Sakura to her and possessively took control of a kiss. Vigilant fingers worked up the side of Sakura's ribcage, determinedly slipping under the short shirt before her left hand snaked out and deftly worked at the front zipper. Ino's hand continued on its downward journey before stopping at Sakura's hip to pull the girl closer. Soft moans were emitting from both girls until Ino felt a hand press gently on her sternum and push her away.

"Huh," Ino gasped, trying to catch her breath, "what are you doing?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Last I checked I was trying to blow your mind."

At that comment, Sakura's eyes turned a darker shaded of green, reflecting Ino's lust and desire. "Trust me, you were. I just don't want us to do something you're not ready for."

"Christ, we've already had sex. I want you and I know you want me. It's as simple as that."

"No it's not Ino, and you know it." Sakura frowned, trying to create more distance between the two of them but Ino refused to let go.

"Now who's running away, Sakura?"

"I'm not running away, I just…can't do this." Sighing, she broke Ino's hold on her and headed back towards the tree, uncaring that she was still partially undressed.

Chasing after her, Ino placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder and spun the other ninja around. "Don't think you can say something like that and just walk away from me!"

"Look, tonight was great but I think we should cool off."

"Cool off! What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Listen, you're still not 100 percent yet and I don't think we should push it."

"Push it?" Ino, becoming frustrated, forced the other girl back until Sakura was flush with the tree. "Maybe you should have thought of that before you had me fuck you on the couch."

Sakura winced slightly at the verbal accusation. "Well I'm thinking about it now. It's been five days since you came back from your mission and you still don't have a clue about us, our relationship, what it means to be together as a couple."

"That's not true!"

"Prove it!"

"Fine, I will!" Ino licked her lips before she began speaking. "I remember…I remember that you hate it when I leave the cap off the toothpaste and that sometimes when you think I'm sleeping you go downstairs and have a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Which you try to hide in the back of the freezer. You watch tv on mute because you like to guess what the actors are saying and that you absolutely, positively hate spiders even though you totally have superstrength. I know that you like to rock out to the radio when you cook and that it makes you sad that your parents can't understand what happens to you after a difficult mission.

I also know that right after we moved in together the neighbors called the cops for a domestic disturbance because you screamed too loud when we were having sex. And, and…" Ino paused, racking her brain for more information. Finally finding it, she grinned wolfishly, "I know for a fact that we had our first kiss under this tree, but you said it didn't count because we were nine and that only kisses with boys counted. And then you made me kiss you again because you said I wasn't doing it right." Ino would have continued on but she was too busy focusing on the fact that Sakura was kissing her once again, invading her senses until Ino's previous anger left her.

"I lied. Kissing you did count. Besides, boys are gross."

"It counted for me, too. And I don't know; I've always had a kind of a crush on Kakashi-sensei. Ow! Don't pinch me."

"Serves you right, ogling my teacher."

"Hey, who would you rather I ogle? Kakashi or Tsunade? Ow! Again with the pinching."

"Seriously, Ino. I just want to make sure that this isn't a mistake."

Leaning slightly forward so that their foreheads were touching, Ino whispered softly, "How can making love to you be a mistake?"

"Oh, Ino." Wrapping her arms around the taller girl, Sakura finally succumbed to the blond's advances. Relishing the fact that Ino seemed to be taking charge, Sakura willingly followed her lover's lead.

Ino's hands traveled a path on Sakura's body, mentally mapping the other girl's topography. As hands quickly divested both of them of their clothing, it seemed to Ino that she had always known this curve of hip and thigh. That the legs locking around her waist and the fingers digging into her shoulders did so naturally; and that the body pulsing around her fingers would always be a homecoming, a haven. The sound of Sakura's sharp intake of breath followed by a questing hand was enough to push Ino over the edge and as they both came down from their high, backs resting against that fateful tree, Ino pulled Sakura close once more and whispered, "Marry me," and Sakura whispered back, "Yes."


	10. When You Wish Upon A Star

Chapter 10: When You Wish Upon A Star

Present

Sakura's sigh was heavy enough that the blades of grass in front of her face swayed momentarily. She and Ino were had reclined to a more comfortable position on the ground after putting enough clothes back on to preserve a modicum of decency. They did live in a village filled with ninja, after all, and ninjas were known for their sneakiness; especially some of their perverted team members. And Rock Lee. The last thing they needed was him popping up and shouting about how he had just witnessed the gloriousness of youth. Sakura's second sigh was even heavier, and was loud enough to rouse her slightly-dozing companion.

"Hey, what's up?" Ino inquired as she gently rubbed her girlfriend's back.

"Nothing. Just thinking."

"So what else is new?"

"Ha ha. I'm totally marrying you for your quick wit."

"Really? 'Cuz I thought you were marrying me for my killer body." Ino's smile was apparent in her voice, even as she spooned closer to Sakura and placed her chin on the other girl's shoulder.

"Vain much?"

"Mmm…maybe. Jiriya thinks I'm hot, he even wants to put me in one of his stories." There was no way that she was going to tell Sakura that he wanted to feature both of them. Ino may think of Jiriya as dirty old man who used his position in the village to sexually harass women at the bathhouse, but that didn't mean that he should die because she had an unfortunate slip of the tongue.

This earned a laugh from Sakura as she gently squeezed the hand that had been placed around her waist. "At least he has good taste. I might actually have to buy a copy of that book, instead of swipe them from Naruto like I usually do."

Ino partially sat up, and with mock seriousness, she exclaimed, "Sakura! You look at porn?!"

"Not on purpose!"

"How can you accidentally read porn?"

"Well…"

Ino crossed her arms. "Go on. I want to hear this."

"So…you were gone on a mission and I was at Naruto's, drinking with him in his apartment. He was trying to cheer me up. Anyway, he left to get some takeout and there was this book, out in the open."

"You snooped around his apartment."

Sakura nervously shifted her eyes away from Ino's penetrating blue gaze. "Maybe…"

"So what happened after you looked under your teammate's couch…"

"Mattress. Oh, crap." Sakura said, and then sighed once more.

Ino's eyes gleamed in triumph. "So you admit it!"

"Hey, do you want me to finish this story?"

"Alright," Ino huffed, "No need to get so bent out of shape. It's not like you went through his drawers looking for sex toys."

Sakura's silence hung heavily between them.

"No," Ino drew the word out as she blinked rapidly, "you didn't…"

"Where was I? Oh, yeah. Naruto went to get food…"

"I had no idea…"

"…and there was this book. I was bored. A blond girl was on the cover…"

"…that you were such perv. And a snoop!"

"…I opened it up somewhere in the middle of a chapter."

"…I mean sure, a perv or a snoop. Usually it's one or the other…"

"I must have read ten pages before I realized that there was gratuitous sex that in no way motivated plot line development. It was an honest mistake!

"…But to be both. I don't think I can marry you. I take it all back. Who knows, you might raid my underwear drawer while I'm asleep."

"It's too late. You can't take it back and you're one to talk about raiding underwear."

"Hey, at least I wait till you're awake and in them."

Sakura nodded thoughtfully, "True. It's one of your more redeeming qualities."

Ino quirked her head to the side before she asked, "Was she hot?"

"Who?"

"The girl on the cover. Was she hot?"

"Actually, she kind of looked like Naruto when he does the Sexy no Jutsu."

Both girls looked at each other for a moment before their eyes widened.

"You don't think…"

"No way…"

"Gross" Ino said as she rested back on her elbows.

"Tell me about it." Sakura laid back down and put her hands behind her head, content to look up at the night sky.

After a few minutes, Ino broke the comfortable silence. "Hey, you never answered my question…"

Sakura never got a chance to respond as Ino placed a hand on her shoulder and her teasing face instantly turned into an expressionless mask.

"We've got company."

Green eyes instantly scanned the tree line, sweeping over the area. Noting a quick flash of clothing about two hundred yards out, Sakura gave a quick nod and made a move to get to her feet before Ino's hand stilled her movement.

"Don't worry about it. It's probably just one of the guys, trying to sneak a peak. I'll go down and 'convince' him that he has better things to do with his time than watch us."

Ino rose to her feet and started walking purposefully in the direction where she had spotted the interloper, muttering about common decency and asking countless deities why she had to be constantly surrounded by ninjas.

Sakura watched her girlfriend go, shamelessly taking in the sight, before resuming her stargazing. She didn't need to worry. Ino would quickly handle the guy and return in no time. Sakura smiled blissfully, so wrapped up in her love for Ino she was momentarily oblivious of the constellations above her. Life was indeed perfect.

**********************************************************************

Ino crept through the thickening forest, following flashes of movement that seemed to always appear at the corner of her vision. Becoming increasingly frustrated, Ino decided to quickly take to the trees before confronting the peeping tom. After rapidly calculating the angle of trajectory need for the optimum level of surprise, she leapt from the trees, landing lightly on her feet, before looking up and promptly falling on her butt.

"Dad?!"

Her father extended his hand to her, helping Ino to her feet. After making sure that she was still intact, Inoichi looked his daughter square in the eye and said, "Alright, Ino. Enough is enough. You have to end this. Now."


	11. Didn't Know Now What I Didn't Know Then

Chapter 11: If I Didn't Know Now What I Didn't Know Then

Present

"What are you talking about? End what? And what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with mom?" Ino glanced around quickly, expecting to see her mother somewhere through the trees.

"You know what I'm talking about, Ino. This," gesturing with his hands, Inoichi motioned to the surrounding area, "is a lie. The sooner you face it, the sooner you can end it."

"What are you talking about? End what? Answer me!"

"None of this is real. You were sent on a mission to apprehend a rogue ninja named Shokkou Yume and you are trapped in his genjutsu! This false paradise is slowly killing you and you need to break it before you die!

"No!" Ino howled, hands covering her ears. "Why are you saying this? You aren't real. I'm having another seizure and I'm hallucinating."

Inoichi reached forward only to have his hand slapped away. "Don't touch me."

"Ino, please, I'm not trying to hurt you, but you need to do this. Your teammates are counting on you. You've already been unconscious for hours. This can't go on."

"All of this. My life, my memories, how can they be a lie? I, I'm remembering everything. Before, I couldn't, but now it's all so clear."

"Those are false, an effect of the genjutsu. They are imprinting themselves on you, making it more difficult for you to leave. Time is of the essence, Ino. The longer you stay here the less likely you are to leave."

"Damn right I don't want to leave! I just…I just…" Ino had to pause a moment to control her breathing, knowing that hyperventilating wouldn't get her anywhere. "I just asked Sakura to marry me, and she said yes. She said yes, damn it. Everything I've ever wanted and even things I didn't know I wanted are coming true. Why are you ruining this for me?"

"Yes, I'll admit that your relationship with Sakura is a surprise, but you have to understand that it's only a stray desire. There is nothing in this world of any substance."

"How can you say that? You don't even know what it's like, how for years I sat back and did nothing, changed nothing. All of those wasted opportunities. This is a fresh start, this time I know it will work."

"I'm saying it because I know. I've only been in this world a short time and already I'm feeling the effects. The call of dreams unrealized and the lure and temptation, the promise of actualization. I'm only here in a deep-meditative state, piggybacking on your subconscious thoughts. If I wasn't your father and teacher, I don't even think it would be possible for anyone to reach you when you are this far gone."

Ino was crying now, quietly sobbing into her hands. "Leave me alone. Why can't you just leave me alone. I'm already dying. At least this way I'll die happy."

Inoichi reached down to cup her face, trying one last time to reach her. "You aren't the only one in trouble. Other people are relying on you."

Ino glanced up, her eyes red-rimmed and glistening, "Teammates."

"What?"

"You said 'teammates.' Where is Sakura?" Noticing her father avoiding her stare Ino stepped closer, "Where is she? Holding my hand, waiting for me to wake up? Stuffing her face at Ichiraku's? Dancing at a night club? Where is she?"

"Right here."

"I don't understand."

"She's right here, Ino."

"I already told you that I don't understand."

"Try and remember. Tell me what you see."

Closing her eyes, Ino began to count, taking in deep breaths as she did so. She remembered sunshine and pink hair and the ocean. Slowly she pushed that aside, heart-breaking as she recognized its falseness, and the sunshine turned into rain, the ocean into thunder. "I remember that I was cold and that even though I was in a tent I couldn't get warm. And…and Sakura was mad at me…and somehow she had my blanket." Ino's concentration flagged momentarily, and it was an effort to retrieve that final memory. "I was behind her and I made her share her blanket. That's all. I was spooned behind her and then I fell asleep."

"That is your answer."

"We were touching. When the genjutsu hit, we were touching."

Nodding his head, Inoichi confirmed this. "Lady Tsunade thinks that because the genjutsu was only designed for one person, the fact that you two were touching each other affected its potency. Some how it merged your thoughts; creating a shared dream. It helps that your Kekkai Genkai involves mental manipulation, allowing you to somewhat resist the effects of the genjutsu."

Ino started to pace, her feet quickly wearing a pattern in the grass. Stopping suddenly, she turned towards her father, a smile gracing her features.

"It isn't me." Striding towards her father, she spoke again. "It isn't me, it's us!"

Cocking his head, Inoichi glanced down at his daughter.

"Don't you see? This is great news!"

"I don't understand. I just told you that your life is in peril and Sakura's too…"

"But that's just it. WE are in danger because WE are stuck in a shared genjutsu paradise. It's all real, everything is real. It's just fake."

"I'm really not following you."

"Dad, for a ninja you can be really dense."

Narrowing his eyes, Inoichi replied, "Thanks."

"Everything I want, Sakura wants; and everything that she's dreamed of, I've dreamed of. It's all the same. We both need the same things. I can tell her and then we can release this genjutsu and get on with our lives."

"It's not that simple, Ino. Only you can come back from this. Sakura is and has always been fully immersed in this world. There is no going back for her."

The burgeoning hope that she had been desperately holding onto burst within Ino. It wasn't true, it couldn't be true. Not when she had just realized something so important. "I don't believe you."

"Ino, look, I'm sorry but…"

"Just shut up! You don't know what you're talking about."

"Even Lady Tsunade recognizes the futility of trying to save Sakura."

Clenching her fists, Ino raised her eyes, the fury and determination shining through. Walking past her father, she started to head back towards the clearing.

"Ino, listen to me."

"Don't. Don't talk to me. You'd better get out of my head before you're trapped here too."

"You can't save her. I know you love her but you can't save her."

Through her tunnel vision, Ino could clearly see Sakura standing on the hill, back towards Ino and eyes staring up at the stars. Her dad was wrong, Ino knew that love was precisely the reason she could save Sakura, she just wasn't sure if Sakura would ever forgive her.

****

Sakura leaned back into the embrace as she felt Ino's hands circling around her waist. Tilting her head back on Ino's shoulder, Sakura continued her perusal of the night sky.

"So who was it, out spying on our lovefest? Lee?"

"No, it was my dad. He just had to tell me something really quickly, but he left."

"Oh, God." Sakura tried to turn around but Ino's arms held her in a gentle prison. "He didn't see anything did he, because as much as I love your father, I do not want him knowing that much about our sex-life."

Ino's chuckle reverberated through her chest and Sakura delighted at the sensation.

"Good, you're laughing. You were getting entirely too mopey."

"I'm not mopey."

"Yup, you kind of were. I think I'll put that in my wedding vows. I promise to never let you get mopey again."

Ino squeezed Sakura tightly, replying, "I'd like that."

Sakura was about to respond, but she was too lost in the sensation of Ino's hands migrating up her body before gently squeezing her breasts and then lightly needing the muscles in her neck. With a groan of pleasure, Sakura let her hang down, surrendering to the feel of Ino's hands on her body.

"Sakura?"

"Mmm…what? Ino that feels so good."

"You know I love you, right?"

Pausing for a moment to luxuriate in the feel of Ino's fingers stroking her neck and chin, Sakura finally replied, "Of course, I know that. I love you too."

These were the last words that she spoke before she felt a momentary tightness and wrenching under her chin, and then her world faded into darkness.

Ino gently held the lifeless body of her lover, perfect except for the angle of her neck. Placing Sakura's body reverently on the ground, Ino placed her hands together and spoke.

"Release."

****

Present: Land of Rain

Ino blinked her eyes and tried to sit up before the pounding in her head told her it was a bad idea.

"Hey, easy there. I've got you."

"Shikamaru?"

"Yeah, it's me. Did you have a nice nap?"

"I don't know. Everything's kinda fuzzy."

"I'm sure you'll remember in time."

"Hey, where's Choji?"

"Over here."

Recognizing the voice of her teammate, Ino gingerly turned her head to the left. Choji was there with a wide grin on his face cradling a groggy Sakura.

Ino wasn't sure how but his smile seemed to get even bigger. "Honestly, Ino. I don't know how you managed to pull it off. It's a miracle that you both are alright."

Ino was about to respond when Sakura gave a sigh and turned her head. Piercing green eyes met blue and Ino felt her heart break again as Sakura uttered the words, "Ino, you killed me."


	12. Gee Whiz, I'm Dreaming My Life Away

Chapter 12: Only trouble is, gee whiz, I'm dreaming my life away

One Week Later: Konohagakure

Sakura knew that she should feel something other than the numbness that had taken up permanent residence in her body. Some called it Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, induced by her abrupt departure from the dream weaving jutsu and the trauma of experiencing her own death. Others, like Lady Tsunade and Shizune, were calling it a deep depression, and anxiously employed her friends and family members in their effort to watch over her. She knew they thought they were being subtle, but Sakura was a medical ninja for a reason and she could spot a suicide watch a mile away. It was, after all, something she would have implemented if she had a patient exhibiting her symptoms. Had she been more of a romantic, she would have said that she was suffering from a severe and chronic case of heartbreak; but she had left that side of her behind in that damn charlatan's dream world.

As she sat on top of the mountain outside the village, her legs dangling over the visage of the second Hokage, she couldn't help but relive the shame and embarrassment brought on by that horrible debriefing.

Shortly after returning from the mission, a journey that she only vaguely remembered, she was quickly checked over by a nurse who had deemed her fit enough to have a conversation with her mentor. What had followed was a mix between a scolding for being so careless and distracted and a gruff admission from Tsunade that she was glad that Sakura was ultimately alright. She wasn't sure how being trapped in a coma and potentially wasting away because she was playing house in a mental paradise made her in anyway okay, but she had learned a long time ago to smile and nod around her teacher. Sakura was asked to give her recounting of events as she remembered them, alternately blushing and stammering when she was forced to divulge the more graphic details of her "relationship" with Ino. She could have just said that they were best friends again, that her fantasy had only involved platonic intimacy, but every time she closed her eyes she could feel Ino inside her body and smell her on her skin. Besides, Sakura figured that Ino would be debriefed too, and she had such a big mouth. It would be just like her to brag to the entire village how she was the girl of Sakura's dreams.

Of course, towards the end of her tale, she couldn't disguise the anger and vitriol that had plagued her since she had woken in Choji's arms. Anger at being so well deceived by both Yume and Ino and the hurt that had followed in the wake of understanding, of finally _realizing_ that she had been _murdered, _was not something that she'd ever thought she'd have to deal with. The life a shinobi was difficult at best, but she knew she stood apart, unique in the fact that her death was the only way she could live.

"Hey Sakura. What are you doing all the way up here?" Tenten's lilting voice asked, hiding the concern that she felt for her friend and fellow kunoichi.

'Mmm…' mused Sakura. 'Must be noon; time for a shift change.'

When she didn't receive an answer, Tenten sat down on Sakura's left, careful to avoid the fissures in the ground that Sakura's super strength had unconsciously created.

"You should be more careful," she said, placing a hand on top of Sakura's closed fist, "Lady Tsunade is going to kill you if you put a crack in the Second Hokage. It took forever to repair the face of the Third, you know."

Sakura slowly lifted her left hand, marveling at the fist-sized craters on either side of her body. For the first time since she came home she was glad to have some company, even if it wasn't from the person that she really wanted.

"Come on," Tenten coaxed, standing up. "Let's go for a swim. It's too nice to be hanging around up here." What she didn't say was that when she first noticed Sakura all the way up here, her heart had leapt to her throat. Tenten had been briefly updated on Sakura's condition and was told that she was in danger of hurting herself, but it wasn't until she had looked up and seen the girl that everything had solidified into a hard knot of fear. She didn't think that Sakura would have jumped, but she seemed so despondent and lost, Tenten didn't want to take any chances.

The walk to the lake was a silent one, each girl lost in thought. It wasn't until they were a few hundred feet out that Sakura heard it. A lilting laugh followed by a gruff chuckle and the unmistakable sound a cannonball. Any tension that had eased from her body during the long walk was immediately back. She knew that laugh. Eyes flashing, she whirled around to confront Tenten.

"Why are we here? Is this some kind of trick? I would have expected this from one of the guys, because you know, they're guys and they're stupid, but I can't believe you're in on this!"

"Whoa! Hold on for a minute." Tenten pleaded, hands grabbing Sakura's arm before she could flee. She didn't expect the haymaker aimed at her head. Bending over quickly to avoid the blow, Tenten was lucky that Sakura was so upset that she only managed to clip her temple. Still it hurt like a bitch, and Tenten had to do some serious blocking to avoid being killed.

"How could you be so insensitive?!" A lunge to the left that felled a tree. "I don't want to see her, ever! A quick sweeping kick aimed at the knee and just missing. "She killed me," Sakura's screaming now, the numbness replaced by rage, "violated me." Hand signs form and clone punches through Tenten's midsection, only to gaze at the hand lodged in the log from the substitution jutsu milliseconds before being destroyed by a well aimed kunai. "Do you know what it feels like when your neck snaps?!" Sakura's swinging blindly now, not even trying for finesse. "I loved her." The trees are thinning out and rocks are now taking the brunt of Sakura's rage.

Tenten's being herded and she knows it. Even consumed in pain, Sakura's smart and she's repeatedly cut off Tenten's attempts at retreat. She can see the wall of earth looming large in front of her, the ravine that she's been unsuccessfully trying to hide in coming to a dead end. All Tenten has are a few lousy kunai, her large scroll left at home because she was going to go _swimming_ for Christ's sake. She reaches into her pouch and pulls out a kunai, knowing the futility of facing the force of nature that Sakura has become.

"I loved her," She screams again and again. "I loved her and she killed me." She's cocked her right fist back, palm blazing with chakra. All Tenten can do now is shift her feet into a better stance and wonder how many bones she's going to break in her arm when she tries to block Sakura's punch; if she can block it at all.

"Sakura, stop!" The command is spoken, not from Tenten's lips but from the bikini clad blond standing behind Sakura. The earth by Tenten's head splits and groans as the fist is diverted and plunged into the rock. Sakura is breathing heavily and her face is caked in dirt mixed with her sweat and tears. The first touch of Ino's hand on her shoulder has her flinching before she falls onto her knees and collapses in on herself, sobbing uncontrollably.

Ino, looking at Tenten, smiles apologetically. "I'm sorry about that. Are you okay?"

Lowering her kunai, Tenten nodded, because really, what else could she do? "She managed to graze me but other than scaring the crap out of me, I'm good."

Ino offered her a quick smile and said, "Yeah. You should see her when she's PMSing."

"No thanks."

The two shared a quick giggle before things became awkward again. Ino gestured ineffectually down at Sakura, saying "Well, I guess I should…"

"Yeah, I guess you should. When she, you know, returns to normal, tell her I didn't set anything up. And that I'm not mad at her, but she owes me one hell of a dinner."

"I will," Ino said as she bends down to cradle the sobbing form of her girlfriend? Best friend? Lover?

Tenten walked away, glad to leave the scene and resisting the urge to turn for a last glance at the two women. She had just experienced first hand what a broken heart could do and she was resolved to do a better job with her own love life. Sakura may have almost killed her, but she knew that Temari definitely _would_.


	13. You Are Always On My Mind

Chapter 13: You are always on my mind

Present

It took Ino almost an hour to calm down the blubbering, babbling girl in her arms before she could bring her back to where her stuff was at the lake. Shikamaru and Choji had offered to help, but Ino had gently waved them off saying that she could handle this herself. As she wiped Sakura's face with her beach towel, Ino couldn't help but be enchanted. Even with eyes red-rimmed and puffy from crying, Sakura was still beautiful.

"Stop touching me, Pig," Sakura growled. She didn't mean to be abrupt, but she was so ashamed. Attacking Tenten like that had been out of line. Then Ino had appeared out of nowhere and God, that bikini. She was pretty sure that the combined mass of the red strips of fabric would have been enough to make an eye patch. Her emotions were so raw and they kept flip-flopping between intense arousal at the body leaning over her and jealousy that Ino's teammates got to see her in this outfit before Sakura.

Ino leaned back on her haunches, miffed before impulsively leaning forward and placing a quick kiss on Sakura's lips. Blue eyes never wavering from green, Ino deftly caught Sakura's right hand as it tried to slap her face. 'Uh uh," she taunted before gently bringing the hand to her lips, nibbling and sucking on Sakura's open palm. "I'm getting utterly bored with you trying to hit me all the time."

Groaning softly, Sakura tried to bring up her other hand to push Ino off of her, but her limbs felt heavy and wouldn't obey commands. Ino leaned forward even more until she was stretched over Sakura. Satisfied that she wasn't going to be tossed aside like a rag doll into the lake anytime soon, Ino continued speaking. "You know, I think what all of this boils down to is trust."

"Huh wha…?" Sakura managed to mumble, lulled into a heady state by the nearness of Ino's body and the amazing things she was doing to her hand.

"Don't interrupt. I've thought about this all week and what you were screaming earlier just confirms it."

"I wasn't…"

"Half the town heard you," Ino interrupted, her face turning grim momentarily. "I can't believe you by the way. Only you would have a breakdown that would wind up embarrassing me, too. And instead of finding me and talking to me about your problems," she looked pointedly at Sakura, "you avoid me all week and let everything fester until you almost kill one of our closest friends."

Sakura glanced away, ashamed.

"As I was saying, I think that you have some major trust issues. Obviously involving me…"

"Obviously."

Narrowing her eyes, Ino continued. "…but also involving yourself."

That statement got Sakura's attention.

"You don't trust that what we had was real."

"It wasn't real."

"The fantasy world might not have been but what we felt while we were there was. Don't think for a moment that I didn't mean any of it. Everything I ever said to you in that dream was true."

"Correct me if I'm wrong but you don't usually ask someone to marry you and then off them." Sakura's words are bitter and they leave a foul taste in both their mouths.

"I had to. It was the only way. Please believe me," Ino begged, eyes downcast. "When I met my father in the woods, he told me that you were a lost cause, a goner because you had bought into the fantasy so completely." Ino shook her head, fighting back tears. "They told me I should just leave you…"

"They?"

"Yeah, Tsunade made the final call. My dad was just the messenger because he was the only one who could reach me in time. I'm sorry; it was the only way I could think of to save you."

"Tsunade sacrificed me?"

"Well, it wasn't like that. I mean, you know, I don't think she wanted to. It was just that she had to make a choice and I was the one with the greatest chance of breaking the genjutsu. You have to know how hard that decision must have been for her. You were pretty out of it when we got back, but she looked like hell. When she saw you alive but barely conscious I thought she was going to lose it."

"Why didn't she say anything to me? I had to listen to her yell at me for twenty minutes before I was able to even begin to be debriefed properly. If I had known that she was just going to abandon me…"

"She didn't abandon you. She just didn't know how to save you."

"She didn't even try to save me."

"Well I saved you, so stop bitching." Ino emphasized this by leaning forward and nipping warningly at Sakura's neck. "Face it, if it wasn't for me, you'd still be in LaLa Land, pining for me; wanting my body." She's rocking her hips now. Ino's tone is teasing, her kisses trail lower over Sakura's collarbone, and Sakura's wondering how they've wandered back to foreplay. "I could have left you, you know," Ino's murmuring now into the soft skin exposed by Sakura's v-neck shirt, "trapped with a figment of your imagination. Isn't it so much better to be here, now, with the real deal instead?" Hands slid up Sakura's rib cage and she's leaning up, letting Ino slide her shirt over her head before allowing her lips to be captured in a searing kiss.

At last they're coming up for air and Ino's chanting, "This is real. This is what matters."

Slowly, Sakura let her hands wander the length of Ino's body, pausing occasionally to ease up on the sensory overload. She wondered if she would ever shake the feeling of déjà vu. It was disconcerting to know that if she touched that spot on the small of Ino's back, that Ino would let out a low moan. Or that if she repositioned her thigh just so it would make Ino cum so much faster and that right now that was the last thing Sakura wanted.

Unlike Sakura, Ino had spent the past week coming to terms with what had happened between the two of them, so she felt no guilt in exploiting her knowledge of Sakura's body. That last day in her dreamstate had produced an onslaught of false memories, and still, Ino's heart would always grieve for the loss of their first, fumbled coupling. It was depressing to realize that their first kiss happened not on Sakura's front door step, the light from the neighbor's window the only illumination, but with Sakura crying and depressed and so incredibly heartbroken.

"I'm going to make this so good for you, baby," Ino croons as she watches Sakura's face, moved by the tears leaking from the corners of her eyes, slightly swollen and puffy from her earlier crying jag. To Ino, she has never looked more beautiful. "That's it, just like that." Ino's hips are rocking again and she's giving open mouth kisses now, lips trailing down Sakura's body, past the dip in her collar bone, and ending with a playful nip at Sakura's solar plexus before stopping to remove Sakura's bra. She makes a delightful humming noise as her lips latch onto Sakura's right nipple, inordinately pleased at Sakura's whispered "Oh, thank God."

Sakura's body is on fire, and she thinks 'finally, finally,' as Ino's hands stop at the edge of her skirt before slowly pulling down on the zipper and then hooking her fingers into Sakura's

of to the side. Her boots are temporary obstacles and then they too are removed and end up somewhere near the discarded clothing.

Ino sits up only momentarily to swiftly remove her swimsuit, before her mouth is back to worshipping Sakura's body, this time paying loving attention to her abs while her hands seek out and find Sakura's. Threading their fingers together, Ino continues her downward journey, her thoughts echoing Sakura's, 'finally, finally,' as her tongue descends towards and then into the source of Sakura's passion.

Sakura cries out at the onslaught of pleasure, unable to refrain from vocalizing her joy, hands squeezing Ino's so hard before she remembers her strength and eases back slightly, the knuckles no longer white from the pressure. Her hips are moving faster now, at rhythm with the drumbeat pulsing between her thighs, Ino's tongue moving rapidly across her entire length, teasing her clit before plunging back inside Sakura. Electricity shoots through Sakura, curling her toes as she feels like she is on fire, burning from the inside out. Her eyes land momentarily on Ino's face, the look of triumph that would be so annoying at any other time, merely pushes her further over the edge and her hips are lifting up, straining against the joined hands that are pushing her back down, before her head is thrown back in final ecstasy.

She is riding out the last waves of her orgasm when Ino quickly moves up her body until their flesh merges at the apex of their thighs, Ino's thrusts allowing her to crest one more time, in tandem with her lover's body. It's over too soon and then their kissing, breathing life back into one another's bodies, breathing life back into their souls. At last, the raging fever that had swept over both of them simmers to a soothing burn, like coals that are once again black but only need to be stoked to become red hot.

Spooning, with Ino's arm pulling her in close, Sakura can breathe again, the soft grass a welcoming bed and the quiet murmur of the lake lulling her into sleep. Ino's voice drifts over her and caresses, "Where do we go from here?" Sakura doesn't know, but she does know that it will be with Ino, and then sleep pulls her under and they are both dreaming, together.

The End.


End file.
